Wooden Christening font and glass bowl insert. c.1880s

Collection
Jindera Museum

Object Name
Christening Font

Object Description
Wooden Christening font, with tripod legs and glass bowl insert. Top has a round insert which contains the round glass bowl. The wood used is possibly river red gum and was possibly crafted by a German settler with woodworking skills c.1880s. The font is in good, original condition. Dimensions: Approx 500mm high, 300mm wide.

A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for the baptism of children and adults. It is typically intended for baptisms using a non-immersion method by application of water on the subject’s head. The simplest of fonts has a pedestal about 1.5 metres tall, with a holder for a basin of water. The materials vary greatly consisting of carved and sculpted marble, wood or metal. ¹

The mode of baptism at a font is usually one of sprinkling, pouring, washing or dipping. The earliest fonts were designed for full immersion, with fonts becoming smaller as infant baptism became more common. ² A special silver vessel called a ‘ewer’ is used to fill the font. ³

From the very earliest years of settlement, the Lutheran church was the pivot of the German communities throughout South Australia, Victoria and the Riverina. The communities in the Jindera and Walla Walla area were almost certainly in the majority, Lutheran. Trungley Hall, Gidginbung and Temora followed the same religious demographic. It must be noted however, that among the majority of Lutherans there were German settlers with connections to other Christian denominations including Catholic, Methodist and Anglican. ⁴

During the journey from South Australia to the Riverina in 1868 Johann Klemke Senior conducted morning and evening prayers and morning and afternoon services were conducted in turn by Johann Klemke Senior, Andreas Mickan and Michael Wenke. On their arrival in the Walla Walla district, services were held initially in the homes of Michael Wenke, Traugott Klemke and Jacob Lieschke, with Sunday school conducted in the home of Johann Klemke Senior. The first Lutheran church in Walla Walla was built in 1872, with volunteer labour. It was constructed of slabs of timber and clay, with a roof of straw. Windows, doors, floor boards and timber for the seats was purchased. The first Lutheran church at Walla Walla was predated by Lutheran churches at Gerogery (1870) and Bethel (1871). ⁵

Johann Klemke Senior served four congregations in the Walla Walla district including Ebenezer (Walla Walla), Bethel, Jindera and Gerogery, even though a Lutheran Pastor resided at Gerogery. During Johann Klemke’s time as spiritual leader in the district, he baptized one child, Ernst Gottlieb Wenke, at the camp at Four Mile Creek. ⁶

Baptism was considered an important event. The baby wore a gown of the best and softest material and hand crocheted lace in the most intricate patterns. Three God-parents attended the service and spoke on behalf of the child, and friends and neighbours attended the ‘Christening Dinner’ as well. ⁷

The Sydney Morning Herald provides a contemporary description:

After the sermon the ceremony of baptism was performed. As a girl was to be received into the Church it was necessary for two godmothers to present themselves, and only one godfather. Had the sex been different the proportions would have been reversed. One godmother held the baby throughout the ceremony. All three had to subscribe to a confession of faith, and many times and oft did the ‘ja’ resound. But one was led to inquire where were the mother and father? In the congregation. They were merely passive onlookers. It is not supposed for one moment that a German parent will disregard his or her natural responsibility. In default, however, the duties of godparents are sheeted home. ⁸

Baptismal Font, Magdeburg Germany

The baptismal font has social significance as evidence of the role of religion in the lives of German settlers in the Riverina. It remains as a tangible reminder of the strong Christian faith inherent in the German communities of the Riverina, particularly among the Lutheran Germans.

The font has aesthetic significance, for its design principles and connection to traditional German woodworking skills. The baptismal font is significant for its associations with the settlement of the Jindera/ Walla Walla district of the Riverina by German families and was probably made by a German settler familiar with traditional German woodworking skills. Following the purchase of land in the district, clearing of timber was undertaken for agricultural purposes and for the establishment of homes and communities.

The baptismal font remains as a key object in the interpretation of the history and culture of the German settlers of the Riverina in the late nineteenth century.

1 wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptismal_font

2 ibid

3 ibid

4 G.L. Buxton The Riverina 1861-1891 and J. Koch The German Pioneers in the Temora

5 Klemke Family History

6 Ibid

7 Colin Graetz The White Wends of St. Kitts Bible Family Society, Adelaide: 1982

8 A German Settlement At Walla’ Walla Sydney Morning Herald 28 August, 1909