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Chapter One Preparing Good Soil
CHAPTER ONE
PREPARING GOOD SOIL
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When the first students and teachers came together at the end of January 1981 for the start of the first school year of Trinity Lutheran Primary School at Ashmore, it was not only the beginning of an exciting adventure in school building but also the culmination of many years of dreaming, planning, researching and working by a number of Lutherans on the Gold Coast.
A diverse range of people, conditions and circumstances converged to bring the school into existence. The first was the importance assigned by the Lutheran Church to Christian education. Education has always been valued highly in the Lutheran Church from its very beginnings, when Martin Luther declared that he esteemed “the calling of schoolmaster” above all others. He considered that literacy was essential for the nurture of Christian faith and that literacy was therefore the right of both women and men, girls and boys. The Lutheran Church in Australia has a rich history of Christian schools. Both in Queensland and in South Australia the first Lutherans were missionaries who established schools to instruct the aboriginal children. Among the German Lutheran pioneers in South Australia and Victoria, Lutheran schools were regarded as essential to the life of the congregation. The teacher (usually only one) was held in esteem, next only to the pastor, and the two invariably worked closely together. The stakes were high – the Christian instruction and nurture of the coming generation and the preservation of the Lutheran faith and practice. Lutheran schools flourished until the devastation of closure by government legislation during World War 1.
In Queensland the church culture and the immigration history were very different. As a result, although many Lutheran schools came into existence, competent teachers were in very short supply, and the schools failed to thrive. As a result, when the wartime decree to close them came into force, there were only a few Saturday German language schools still operating. The modest post-war revival of Lutheran primary schools in the southern states failed to eventuate in Queensland. Not until 1945 and 1946 did Lutheran schooling reemerge, this time as secondary schools at Indooroopilly and in Toowoomba. The soil for the growth of Lutheran schools seemed barren and unpromising.
Once again, however, it was decisions by government which enabled change. In the 1960s and 1970s Commonwealth Government support for nongovernment schools emerged and grew, with funding eventually provided both for recurrent expenditure and for capital building costs. For those who still yearned for Lutheran Christian schooling for their children and grandchildren, the prospects seemed bright. Quite rapidly Lutheran congregations began to establish primary schools. New secondary schools were opened, and the church experienced what became known as the boom in Lutheran schools of the 1970s and 1980s. Good soil for new Lutheran schools had been found and was being tilled.
Pastor Martin Prenzler On the Gold Coast in the 1970s the oldest and largest congregation, Trinity Lutheran Church at Southport, had been undergoing a transformation. Pastor Martin Prenzler was strongly committed to a program of welfare ministry to those who suffered social, physical or intellectual disability or disadvantage. After his arrival in 1973 he took Trinity Lutheran Church on a journey of mission outreach through service to those with special needs. In the space of a few years a large number of services were established to care for a diverse range of needs– Trinity Lutheran Kindergarten, a children’s Occasional Care service, Trinity Child Care Centre, Trinity Accommodation Support Service for disabled clients, Trinity Family Support Centre, Trinity Gardens providing aged care, Trinity Court providing hostel accommodation for the aged, together with a flourishing bookshop, the Gold Coast Christian Bookshop, and a bargain centre which provided funds to support them. As a consequence of these activities, the congregation achieved a strong community profile and a high level of public acceptance.
Pastor Martin’s vision was infectious and his gentle but persistent approach and firmly persuasive dedication to these ministries gathered strong support. But there were also concerns. Although generous government funding enabled their successful operation, it was the congregation who had to undertake responsibility for both the financial needs of these enterprises and their management. There emerged in the congregation also a loving concern for those they were serving, a welcoming and friendly social environment which became tangible to those who came into contact with the congregation, both as clients of the services and as teachers, parents and students of the new school. The congregation developed an environment which fostered successful ministry enterprises, and an open, welcoming social culture to nurture them.
There was already a strong commitment by the congregation to ministry to children. The Child Care Centre had opened in 1978 and had an excellent reputation. The congregation’s Sunday School was flourishing with a very large enrolment and an excellent program. New families were joining the congregation because of its children’s ministry, especially the day care centre, and some were seeking a continuation of
the Christian teaching their children were receiving there. Good soil in which to grow a new Lutheran school. Trinity congregation was one of several in Queensland where the success of kindergarten and child care programs generated a desire among parents both within and outside the church for a seamless transition into Lutheran primary education.
There were also powerful influences from significant persons within the congregation. Foremost among these was Mr Eddie Mackenzie. His childhood experience in attending the Lutheran Day School at Pella in the Victorian Mallee region had made a deep impression on him, and he became passionately committed to the establishment of a Lutheran Primary School on the Gold Coast where children would learn of the love of Jesus in their daily school life as he had done. His wife Lila shared his passion, and together they worked tirelessly for the establishment and advancement of the school they dreamed of.
Eddie shared his dream of a Lutheran primary school on the Gold Coast with many, but particularly with his longstanding friend Jack Strohmeyer, also a Trinity member. Together they were to become enthusiastic advocates, stalwart supporters and hard workers for the school which was the fulfilment of their dream.
Their commitment provided a solid base for the plans of Pastor Prenzler who, in 1975, proposed publicly that the congregation consider opening a Lutheran primary school. A joint committee of investigation with the Miami congregation was set up, but it was soon decided that because of the distances the Southport congregation should operate alone. Eddie Mackenzie and Jack Strohmeyer became the new unofficial steering committee for a new school, invoking also the support of another interested Trinity member, Ben Stephan, a recent arrival from Brisbane.
As the movement for a Lutheran primary school or, as they were usually referred to, a Lutheran Day School, developed momentum, some members of the congregation caught the vision of a dynamic new avenue for ministry, and many offers of assistance were received. But the challenges were immense, with financial implications far greater than for any of the congregation’s previous projects.
Late in 1978 when the congregation agreed to establish an official Planning Committee for a Lutheran primary school, it predictably included Eddie Mackenzie. Kevin Cooper was appointed Chairman. Among other members were Pastor Martin Prenzler, Karen Mitchell, Peter Stiller and Genevieve Cooper. A survey in the congregation and the community rejected a proposal to begin with Years 1, 2 and 3 in favour of Years 1 to 7. After consultation with representatives of the Commonwealth Department of Education and the Commonwealth Schools Commission, where they received an assurance that Commonwealth Government recurrent funding would be provided, the committee calculated that it would be feasible to proceed with the project if the congregation could provide donations and interest free loans of $70, 000. The balance of the initial and ongoing capital costs could be covered with Commonwealth Government capital grants and bank loans. The Planning Committee was being optimistic in relation to the grants, because in 1978 the Commonwealth Schools Commission did not provide capital grants until a school could prove its financial viability after a full year of operation. No capital grant had yet been made to any school in its establishment year. Fortunately, this changed in 1980, when capital grants were offered for the first time to beginning schools, including two new Lutheran secondary schools in Queensland.
Early in 1980 an appeal for donations and loans was launched under the leadership of Mr Wilf Cambridge, the manager of the Gold Coast Christian Bookshop. The bookshop became the centre and the public face of the school planning. Publicity material was displayed and distributed from there and, later, enrolment forms. Committee member, Peter Stiller, placed the financial
Wilf Cambridge
challenge before the congregation. But despite the positive attitude among many members, the response was disappointing. Gifts and promises of loans amounted to only $37,000, barely half of the target sum. Was this to be the end of the dreams?
There were other obstacles to be overcome. Kevin Cooper’s growing professional responsibilities led him to resign as Chairman. He was replaced by Jack Strohmeyer. The congregation had proposed an opening date at the beginning of 1981. Many believed this to be impossible. They had no buildings, not even land on which to build, and no Principal and staff. A submission to the Queensland Government for the grant of suitable land had been rejected. Land would have to be located and purchased, buildings planned and constructed. Approval to operate a school had to be obtained from the Queensland Government. Proving the need for the school required detailed demographic studies, projections, and reports. Careful thorough work by committee members produced the required information, and approval from the Minister for Education was received. Approval was also required from the Queensland District of the Lutheran Church, which had not yet established a support structure to assist the development of new schools. To some the challenges seemed overwhelming and the tasks impossible in so short a time. Nevertheless, at a meeting on 11th May 1980 Trinity congregation voted formally to establish a Lutheran Primary School opening in 1981.
When in June 1980 the Planning Committee brought a comprehensive and detailed submission to the LCAQD District Finance Council with a request for approval for the new school, they had well developed plans, but only $9,000 cash, promises and pledges of gifts, and fund-raising plans, though as yet those plans had encountered a disappointing response. The Finance Council was preparing to deny approval for opening in 1981, suggesting a later starting date. In response one member of the Southport delegation argued that the congregation strongly believed that a school opening in 1981 was God’s will. If they were correct, the school planning would succeed; if not, other obstacles would prevent its establishment. The argument was accepted, and the requested approval was recommended to District Church Council, where it was approved.
With the reality of the school becoming clearer, stronger financial support emerged from the congregation. Wilf and Sylvia Cambridge mortgaged their house to provide collateral for a bank loan. To this was added, at that time in strict confidence, the promise from Mr Ben Stephan to bequeath most of his estate to the school. (Because of a later change in circumstances the bequest did not finally eventuate, but the declaration and intention had served its intended purpose.) The first financial hurdle had been overcome.
Acquiring land for the school was the next critical step. An approach to the Queensland Government for the sale or grant of Crown land had been rejected. By April no progress had been made in finding a suitable site, despite many inspections by Eddie Mackenzie and Jack Strohmeyer. Karen Mitchell approached Norman Rix, a respected local real estate agent, who identified ten blocks of land in the preferred areas, the corridor between Southport and Nerang, which at that time was only sparsely developed. Many blocks were inspected by committee members, only to find that were too small (ten acres was the optimum size being sought), flood prone, or otherwise unsuitable.
PASTOR MARTIN PRENZLER
Martin Prenzler was born into a family of pastors. His grandfather, his father, his two younger brothers and two cousins were all pastors of the Lutheran church.
He was ordained after studying at Immanuel Seminary in Adelaide, and initially served as relieving pastor in a succession of Queensland parishes – Boonah, Haden, and Kingaroy. In 1953 he accepted the call to Alberton when his father was serving the adjoining Beenleigh parish.
One of his spiritual heroes was the famous medical missionary Albert Schweitzer, from whom he derived his passionate commitment to welfare ministry and mission. His pastoral experiences strengthened this commitment and, in his second parish at Nambour (1960-1972), he was the prime mover in the establishment of a halfway house for women with psychological disabilities, as well as in establishing retirement units.
Beneath his gentle manner lay a firm persistence and determination and a capacity to motivate and win support. In his next parish at Southport (1973) he led Trinity congregation on a remarkable journey into a range of effective welfare ministries and services which catered for the needs of small children, the aged, the intellectually disabled, and women who were victims of domestic violence. His leadership and encouragement of the establishment of Trinity Lutheran Primary School was a logical continuation of his commitment to service ministries. He was intimately involved in the school in its foundation years and passed to others his vision for a Lutheran secondary school.
In 1978 on a trip to Germany he was able to visit the famous Bodelschwingh Institute at Bethel (Bielefeld), perhaps the prime example of loving Christian service and care for the intellectually and physically disabled. The visit inspired and confirmed his passion for the work.
He had long been involved in church governance of the Hopevale mission and aboriginal community in far north Queensland. In 1983 he accepted the call to serve the congregation there, remaining until 1989 when he moved to his final parish in Gympie. There he motivated the development of Zion Retirement Home.
He and his wife Lois retired to Ashmore in 1993, but he soon returned to full time ministry, taking up the pastorate at Mt Hagen in the New Guinea Highlands for two years. They returned to Ashmore, where he was involved in volunteer work in the parish ministries. He passed away unexpectedly in June 1999. His funeral was held in the school hall of Trinity Lutheran Primary School. He was universally loved and respected. His wife Lois still lives on the Gold Coast.
EDDIE MACKENZIE
Edmund (Eddie) Mackenzie was born in the Mallee region of western Victoria into a farming family.
However, the family had also produced, and was to produce in the future, a number of pastors and teachers of the Lutheran church. He attended the Pella Lutheran Day School at Pella until the age of eleven, when his family moved to Queensland to a farm in the South Burnett. He was strongly influenced by his Lutheran school experience, and he developed a strong commitment to Lutheran schooling where children could learn and experience the love of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He was a talented self-taught tradesman in several fields, working as a builder and cabinet maker, in aeroplane repairs during WW2, and as a furniture maker. A gifted wood carver, he made most of his own tools and equipment. When he moved to the Gold Coast, he established a furniture factory which also produced specialist parts for traditional furniture. He built the furniture for many Lutheran churches and school chapels.
Eddie had a vision for a Lutheran primary school on the Gold Coast, which he communicated to many, but especially his close friend Jack Strohmeyer, a fellow member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Southport. Together they generated a body of support within the congregation for a school. They were joined by Ben Stephan to form an unofficial steering committee until an official committee was elected by the congregation in 1978. Eddie and Jack were tireless in identifying and evaluating potential school sites.
After his dream became a reality in 1981, he continued his support in practical ways, joining in frequent working bees and regularly finishing work early to tend and water the new grass and plants on the developing school site. His support for the school continued unabated until his health failed. He and his wife Lila were acknowledged as founders of the school, and as school patrons were honoured by having a school house name after them. In 2007 Mrs Lila Mackenzie, who was also a tireless worker for the school, was able at the age of 96 to attend the Trinity Lutheran College Grandparents’ Day with two of her great-grandchildren.
JACK STROHMEYER
John (Jack) Strohmeyer overcame the difficulties of his childhood and early adulthood to become successful and highly regarded both in the church and in the Gold Coast community.
Raised by his grandmother in the Kingaroy district after the death of his mother, he worked as a young man in Brisbane, in the Kingaroy district and the Fassifern Valley, where he eventually bought a farm and married; a marriage which lasted for 70 years. He and his wife, Irene, had four children. After moving to Southport in 1949 he owned and operated a business providing firewood to local businesses and households. Still later he worked as a steam engine driver for a local sawmill.
In retirement he had time to contribute to the community as well as for personal recreation. He helped to found the Lutheran Indoor Bowls Club and later the Gold Coast Indoor Bowls Association, of which he was president for many years. For his many contributions to community life he was named Gold Coast Senior Citizen of the Year in 2001.
Jack and Irene were loyal and committed members of St Matthew’s Lutheran Church and later Trinity Lutheran Church, Southport. He was for many years the chairman of Trinity congregation. His long-term friendship with Eddie Mackenzie predated the amalgamation of the two Lutheran congregations in 1967. From Eddie he learnt the value of Christian education and came to share his vision and determination to see a Lutheran primary school established on the Gold Coast. He shared in the work leading up to the establishment, chaired the Planning Committee, and joined the efforts to find suitable land. His loyal contributions to and participation in school life continued to the end of his long life. He felt honoured to be declared
a founder and patron of Trinity Lutheran Primary School and was proud to have a house named after him. He and his wife were regular guests and visitors at school events and functions.
BEN STEPHAN
Bernard (Ben) Stephan was the youngest of the eleven sons of a farming family at Roadvale near Kalbar in the Fassifern Valley.
He had one younger sister. He and his brother William (Bill) owned a farm at nearby Obum Obum.
He became a well-known figure both in church circles and in the wider community through his musical ability and interest. He was an accomplished pianist and his dance band, Black and White, provided the music at dances, parties, and other community functions for about twenty years until the early 1950s. He had a fine singing voice, and often featured as a soloist at community concerts, and later at congregational concerts after he moved to Brisbane. During World War 2 he served in the army Provost Company.
In Brisbane he was a faithful member of St Andrew’s Lutheran Church on Wickham Terrace. He and his brother Bill bought and ran several hotels in Brisbane. The last before his retirement was the Orient Hotel at the corner of Queen and Ann Streets, Petrie Bight. They owned and ran at least one picture theatre and operated a well-positioned carpark in Spring Hill not far from Wickham Terrace. In retirement on the Gold Coast in the 1970s he and his brother established an enviable reputation for their jams, pickles and preserves, winning countless first prizes at the Gold Coast Show. A faithful worshipper at Trinity Lutheran Church, he sometimes arranged bus trips for the members. He became a strong supporter of the Lutheran Primary School long before its opening in 1981 and
continued as a vocal and visible advocate for it. He and his brother frequently ran street stalls to raise funds for the school, selling their jams and preserves and many plants. He was a generous benefactor and was acknowledged as one of the founders of the school. As one of its patrons he was honoured by having one of the three school houses named for him. His financial support was consistent, including the donation of a grand piano for the new school hall in 1986. On occasions he would pay the school fees for families encountering severe financial difficulty.
He and his brother Bill died two months apart in 1990. HE WAS A GENEROUS BENEFACTOR AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE SCHOOL
Eventually a local landowner contacted committee member Karen Mitchell with the offer of a 9.2-acre site which was not listed with any agent. Known as Timber Top, it was being used to run a small dairy, pasturing both dairy cows and horses. It was situated at the junction of Nerang Street and Cotlew Street in Ashmore, a new and still developing suburb. The land was steep, with a gully running between two ridges down to a creek in a flatter space near the street junction. It was strategically situated for future growth. To some committee members who viewed it from the top it seemed an impossibly rugged site to build on; those who looked up from the small flat area at the bottom of the slope saw great potential. Their view prevailed, and the Planning Committee recommended the purchase to the congregation. The purchase price was $10,000 per acre, a total of $92,000. The congregation took out an option to purchase, but there was a long delay while the Gold Coast City Council considered the application for zoning approval, and the option expired. The owner, Mrs Rothery, graciously agreed to extend the option without penalty. It was late June before the purchase was finalised. Pastor Martin Prenzler was able to negotiate very favourable terms, including vendor financing. The terrain would present a challenge for building and would require extensive landscaping. it was not an easy site to develop as a school. This land selection set a pattern for later Lutheran schools on the Gold Coast. The later sites of both Trinity Lutheran College at Ashmore and St Andrew’s Lutheran College at Tallebudgera were hilly and steep, presenting serious challenges for the planning and construction of buildings and other facilities. All three schools found creative and effective solutions to the problematic topography and created beautiful school grounds.
The committee approached the local architectural firm Burling Brown and Partners. Architect Darryl Brown drew up plans for the Stage 1 buildings, a fourclassroom building with wide verandas, a toilet block, and a covered lunch shed which would also serve as a wet weather play space. A master plan for the whole site was also produced, including a principal’s residence, which was intended to form part of the first building stage. The congregation awarded the building contract to Cordukes Pty Ltd, one of whose principals was Mr Brian Carey, whose children were attending Trinity Day Care Centre and later became Trinity Lutheran Primary School students. The available
Karen Mitchell The school uniform. Year 1 class, 1981
funds proved to be inadequate for the whole project, and the principal’s residence and the canteen were removed from the contract.
A Uniform Committee was formed, including Mrs Lila Mackenzie, Mrs Genevieve Cooper, Mrs Doris Sherman and Mrs Jennifer Pinder. Many options were considered and numerous mock-up uniforms created before the green and brown colours and style were agreed upon. The projected enrolment numbers were too small for commercial uniform manufacturers to be interested. Mrs Lila Mackenzie undertook to sew all the uniforms in the required sizes, a mammoth task which she continued for several years until the enrolment of more than 200 made the work too demanding for one person and financially attractive for professional manufacturers.
Before building commenced a ceremony was held on the site to mark the beginning of the school’s journey. On 31st October 1980 Mr Ben Stephan, school benefactor, did the honours at a Turning of the Sod ceremony with local alderman, Cr Athol Paterson. However, building could not yet proceed. The Commonwealth Schools Commission had promised the essential capital grant, but with restrictive conditions. If building commenced before the grant was made official, the offer would become void. But the contract could be awarded and earthworks could be done, and so earthmoving equipment soon appeared on the site to carve out a level building pad on the lower slope of the southern ridge. The lateness in the announcement of the capital grant of $115,000 caused a serious delay to the building program. As the predictable summer storms struck and wet weather began, progress on the building was further delayed. On 10th December 1980 the laying of the foundation stone by Senatorelect Mrs Florence Bjelke-Petersen was conducted in wet weather, with Jack Strohmeyer acting as the chivalrous umbrella bearer for the senator as she unveiled the plaque, and umbrella duty becoming a new responsibility of other committee members.
The wet weather not only delayed progress on the building. It also revealed a drainage problem. Ground water from the neighbour’s property at the top boundary flowed down the central gully onto the flat area at the bottom of the hill, passing through the play shed on the way. Subsequent building by a developer on the adjoining land on the crest of the hill
Mrs Flo Bjelke-Petersen laying the foundation stone The foundation stone plaque of Stage 1
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Darryl Price and Peter Stiller at Trinity Creek
exacerbated the problem, so that in heavy storms the run-off was many metres wide. Even in fine weather and after the gully had been partially filled in and grassed, it was called Trinity Creek! The problem was largely overcome after negotiation with the neighbour. He agreed to pay for an 18 inch (45 cm) underground pipe through the gully and beyond the buildings. From this point the school would pay to continue the pipe down to the creek. The earthworks from later building programs provided fill to build up the area into a series of flat grassed terraces. This long-term project was finally completed during the construction of Stage 3 in 1984. The drainage work was done by the plumber Norm Mitchell, another Trinity member and loyal school supporter, with the volunteer assistance which had already become a hallmark of the school. The total cost of the first stage of the school, including the purchase of the land was $357,000. This was funded by a bank loan of $175,000 over 25 years at 12.5% interest, the first year to be interest only. Fees were set at $400 per year, with a $40 rebate for members of Trinity congregation.
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Mrs Karen Mitchell, Mr Joe Dickerson, Mrs Lyn Mackenzie Lois Prenzler
Time was running out for the appointment of a Principal. At that time all teachers in Lutheran primary schools were called to their positions, not appointed, with a reduced salary scale set by the church. The church authorities provided a list of those available for call. The first calls to become Principal were declined. Then a new name appeared on the call list. Mr Joe Dickerson was a Lutheran teacher from the USA who had recently returned to Australia and had been employed by the South Australian Education Department to teach at a school at Maitland. His strong desire was to return to teaching in a Lutheran school. He accepted the call to become the founding Principal of Trinity Lutheran Primary School. Two other teachers were required for the anticipated enrolment of more than 60 students. Two teachers who were members of Trinity congregation were called and accepted the call to be the foundation teachers. Mrs Karen Mitchell was a member of the Planning Committee. An accredited Lutheran teacher from the USA, she had already given sterling service to the fledgling school. Mrs Lyn Mackenzie brought years of experience in a local state school and a strong knowledge of Queensland curriculum. They too were appointed on the church salary scale. The Planning Committee recommended the new teachers, but it was the congregation which issued the call, employed them, and undertook to support them. In the absence of a principal, since Joe Dickerson was still employed in South Australia, the Planning Committee had also to undertake many tasks which would normally have been the responsibility of the Principal – setting up enrolment procedures, interviewing parents and enrolling students, selecting and ordering books and equipment, selecting and purchasing furniture. By dint of strenuous effort all the arrangements were made. Principal Joe Dickerson arrived in Southport on Christmas Eve 1980. Mrs Lois Prenzler had been conducting enrolment interviews prior to his arrival and continued to assist the principal as new enrolments were received. All was ready... Except the all-important school buildings.
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JOE DICKERSON
Joe Dickerson came to Australia at the suggestion of an Australian, Pastor Norman Habel, one of his lecturers at Concordia University in St Paul, Minnesota, and enrolled at Luther Seminary in Adelaide.
After recognising that he was called to a ministry in teaching rather than as a pastor, he taught for a time at a Catholic school until he and his wife returned to the USA to complete their studies at Valparaiso University in Indiana. When their financial situation prevented their return to Australia, he accepted a call to Zion Lutheran School in Detroit, where he rebuilt and re-established the declining school.
In 1980 they achieved their goal of returning to Australia, and Joe was appointed by the South Australian Education Department to teach at an aboriginal mission school on the Eyre Peninsula. Trained for and committed to Lutheran education, however, he had also placed his name on the call list for Lutheran schools and, although he had no Queensland connections, he was offered and accepted the call to become the Principal of the new Trinity Lutheran Primary School at Ashmore in 1981.
After two years of pioneering work at Trinity, he accepted a call to a new Lutheran school in Ceduna in South Australia, where aboriginal children were being moved from camps into a
school setting in the town. On his return to the USA with his family, he was called again to Zion in Detroit. With skills and experience in leading and improving schools in decline, he subsequently taught at New Haven in Indiana and three Lutheran schools in California. He passed away in 2014.
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Stage 1 foundations
Foundations of the play shed Stage 1 classrooms
