Late Centralian linguist and anthropologist Ted Strehlow honoured with plaque just outside of hometown

John Strehlow has unveiled a plaque honouring his father at a ceremony just outside of Hermannsburg on the weekend.

The son of an important Centralian linguist and anthropologist has unveiled a plaque honouring his dad and second wife just outside of Hermannsburg as part of the National Trust Alice Springs Heritage Festival.

Theodor George Henry (Ted) Strehlow and his second wife Kathleen had their ashes laid to rest under a sacred desert oak on the Finke Causeway in February 2023, but the site was officially commemorated with a plaque on Sunday, April 21.

The event was organised by pastor Neville Doecke from the Hermannsburg Lutheran Church who said more than 50 people attended, with Ted’s son John Strehlow unveiling the plaque during a ceremony which was presided over by pastor Rodney Malbunka.

“Glenn Auricht, a local Alice Springs identity who spent many years at Hermannsburg, speaks Western Arrente fluently, and has a deep cultural understanding of the people, read a brief sketch of the life of (Ted) Strehlow,” Mr Doecke said.

Pastor Rodney Malbunka, John Strehlow, Mark Inkamala, Conrad Ratara, Glen Auricht and Neville Doecke.

“Ted loved working with Aboriginal people.

“They worked closely with him during his lifetime helping him translate German hymns and the new testament into Western Arranta.

“They helped him to document much of their traditional ceremonial customs, songs, and social life as well as details about family country and genealogies.

“Western Arrente men knew that some of the ashes had been buried under a desert oak tree several kilometres west of Hermannsburg, at a location that was culturally significant to men.”

Ted’s father Carl Strehlow was a German Lutheran missionary who went to Hermannsburg with his wife Friederike at the end of the 1800s.

The plaque honouring Ted Strehlow and his second wife Kathleen on the Finke Cauaeway.

Ted grew up in Hermannsburg, learning Arrente alongside German and English.

He later moved out of the town for schooling, but returned to study and document the Arrente culture as an anthropologist and linguist.

Ted passed on October 3, 1978, while his wife Kathleen passed March 4, 2019.

The unveiling of the plaque was just one of the many events taking place this week as part of the Alice Springs Heritage Festival, which ends April 28.

There are no heritage events planned for Anzac Day, but other events include a movie night and guided tour at the Central Australian Aviation Museum on Wednesday, and a guided walk at the telegraph station on Friday.