Harold Gallasch was born on 21 May 1943 in Adelaide and grew up in Glen Osmond.
His mother was Ida Martha Menzel. She was born in Hahndorf on 21 September 1914. Harold’s father Ernest Leonard Gallasch was born 26 February 1905 in Grunthal. The married couple moved to Glen Osmond.
Harold’s great great grandparents Johann Joseph and Veronika, together with children came to South Australia on The Zebra. Joseph became a farmer and first settled in Hahndorf, later in Grunthal. He became naturalised in 1841.
The interview with Harold is about his childhood memories of daily life in Hahndorf. He often visited his grandparents in Hahndorf. Another topic is the development of the tourism market in Hahndorf. Returning from Papa New Guinea in the early 1970s, Harold started a tourist business in Hahndorf and helped to establish the Hahndorf Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. In addition, he speaks about saving the Hahndorf Academy from being demolished and about its change of ownership in the 1980s. Being involved in community life he also speaks about the Hahndorf Liedertafel and other traditions in the town.