South Australian wine legend and long-time supporter of the German community, Dr Wolf Blass AM OM BVK, is helping secure the future of the South Australian German Association through a generous $1.3 million donation from his foundation towards the major redevelopment of the German Club’s Brooklyn Park home. Together with a $900,000 grant from the State Government and years of fundraising by the Club and its volunteers, Wolf’s contribution will help transform the ageing facilities at 41 Airport Road into a more welcoming, accessible and contemporary destination for members, visitors and the wider South Australian community. For Wolf, who has maintained a lifelong connection to his German heritage, the contribution is about far more than bricks and mortar. It is about ensuring the German Club remains a vibrant gathering place for generations to come.

“The German Club has always been about people coming together — to share our culture, our food, our stories and, of course, a good drink,” Dr Blass commented. “I’m very proud to be able to help the Club take this next step. I want to see it become a place that people are excited to visit and a place that future generations can continue to enjoy for many, many years.”

Having built an extraordinary life and career in South Australia after arriving from Germany in 1961, Wolf said supporting the redevelopment was also an opportunity to give back to a community and a state that have played such an important role in his life.

“South Australia gave me the opportunity to build a life here and achieve things I could never have imagined when I first arrived,” Dr Blass commented. “To now be in a position to give something back, and help preserve and celebrate our German heritage in South Australia, means a great deal to me.”

The redevelopment will deliver significant improvements to the Club’s ageing premises, including modern and accessible amenities, a new purpose-built commercial kitchen, new internal furnishings, as well as improvements to the main hall and the building’s exterior. German Club Vice President Brigitte Olijnyk said Wolf’s support had been instrumental in allowing the Association to pursue a redevelopment of this scale.

“Wolf’s generosity is extraordinary and we are enormously grateful for his belief in the German Club and what it means to the South Australian community,” Ms Olijnyk commented. “This is not simply an investment in a building. It is an investment in the future of our Association, our culture and the generations of South Australians who will come here to meet, celebrate and experience German hospitality.”

With Wolf’s contribution, State Government support and the continued commitment of its members and volunteers, the redevelopment represents a new chapter for one of South Australia’s most enduring multicultural organisations. For Wolf, the ambition is simple.

“I want people to walk through the doors and feel that the German Club is alive,” Dr Blass commented. “A place full of friendship, culture, food, music and laughter. If we can create that and leave something special for the generations who follow us, then I will be very happy.”

• Construction is expected to commence late 2026, with the redevelopment anticipated to be completed in 2027.