Preserving Walla Walla’s Heritage
Updated: Apr 14
History magazine, Royal Australian Historical Society
September 2025
Abstract
This article explores the layered cultural heritage of Walla Walla, a distinctive township in southern New South Wales founded in 1869 by German and Wendish (Sorbian) immigrants. From its Straßendorf-style town layout and imposing Zion Lutheran Church to the educational legacy of St Paul’s College, Walla Walla’s built environment reflects a rich migration history shaped by faith, language and community resilience.
The piece also confronts more difficult chapters: wartime suspicion, internment of local men during World War I, cultural suppression, and the gradual loss of language among descendants. Through the work of the Old School House Walla West Museum and its educational outreach programs, local advocates seek to preserve and reinterpret this heritage. The article ultimately reflects on the tension between conservation and development, focusing on the threatened demolition of the historic Schirmer’s Bakery and the broader challenge of safeguarding regional cultural landscapes in the face of modernisation.