German ethnic schools were originally set up in Australia by German speaking immigrant groups, such as clubs or church congregations, to maintain the German language and culture. The first German bilingual school was established in Adelaide in 1839, only three years after the founding of South Australia. These schools grew steadily in number until 1916, when most were shut down due to anti-German sentiment during World War I.
The current school was founded in 1959 by Josef Landherr at the SA German Association (Süd-Australischer Allgemeiner Deutscher Verein) in Flinders Street, Adelaide with one teacher and ten students.
First day of school 1959
Since then, the school has grown steadily to an enrolment of around 180 students and 15 teachers.
The School for the German Language Inc. celebrated its 50th Jubilee in 2009, and published its 50th Jubilee Booklet.
In September 2019 the School celebrated its 60th Anniversary
