TARRINGTON Lutheran School (TLS) was recently delighted to welcome a special visitor, Mr Jan Schürmann to educate Grade 5 and 6 students on his ancestor, Clamor Wilhelm Schürmann. 

C.W. Schürmann was the first teacher of Hochkirch/Tarrington school in 1853 and was also the founder of the St Michaels Lutheran Church (Tarrington) and Tabor church, as well as the first pastor of the congregations.

In his time before teaching in Tarrington, he was a Lutheran Missionary to Indigenous Australians in South Australia between 1838 and 1853, where he researched three Aboriginal languages, and granted Lutheran Missionaries to teach the gospel in these languages.

Mr J. Schürmann expressed the importance of his great-great uncle’s teachings.

“The publications of C.W. Schürmann have become essential for the survival of these languages,” he said.

For 20 years in the lead up to his retirement, Mr J. Schürmann was a lecturer at German University in Public Administration and Policing, as well as being Head of the Law Faculty.

Since then, he has been travelling over Australia with his wife, Gudrun, visiting friends and relatives which has brought him to the Hamilton region, where he encountered a special invite to visit TLS. 

“The principal, Ms. Jane Wiebusch, asked me a week before if I would speak to the class and I didn’t hesitate to say ‘Yes’,” Mr J. Schürman said.

“It was an honour for me, ‘teaching’ the Grade 5 and 6 class.

“It was great fun to talk to the class about history, geography, biology, German language, rules, law enforcement, globalisation, conflicts, and of course sports.”

Mrs Jodie Bennett, TLS staff member, said that she was fascinated by the story of C.W and J. Schürmann.

“Interestingly, our current Principal is also a direct descendant,” she said.

“(Mr J. Schürmann) himself lives an interesting life, lecturing in law in Germany as well as being involved in the United Nations dealing with Afghanistan and Ukraine issues.”

Mr J. Schürmann engaged well with the students in their discussion, that included a range of similarities and differences between Australian and German culture.

“The class tried hard to convince me that cricket and ‘footy’ is an interesting sport,” he said.

“There is hardly any cricket and ‘footy’ in Germany, and my knowledge is quite poor. 

“My hobbies are tennis, volleyball, skiing, and of course I watch our football - soccer.”