QUEENSLAND'S GERMAN CONNECTIONS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

German Australian Community Centre Qld Inc.

1842 2012

QUEENSLAND’S CONNECTIONS GERMAN PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE 170 YEARS STRONG

Matthew Tesch Peter Ludlow | Robin Kleinschmidt Detlef Sulzer

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QUEENSLAND’S GERMAN CONNECTIONS past, present and future

170 years strong : 1842 – 2012

PREFACE to this first digital (2024) edition

How much our lives have changed in the decade since the first print (hardback and paperback) editions of “Queensland’s German Connections” made their debut in 2012! In the intervening years, there have accrued many reasons to recreate this work for the digital world of the 21st Century – not least among them the inevitable exhaustion of the remaining copies from the first print runs. Foremost, however, has been the committed will of the German Australian Community Centre Queensland Inc (GACCQ) Committee to ensure that the enormous trove of riches and stories collected within the book’s covers remains accessible to future generations of online readers. Respect and gratitude to the GACCQ for this small organisation’s tasking – driven by the vision of the-then Honorary Consul of Germany to Southern Queensland, Detlef Sulzer – in not only backing and supporting the vast logistical undertaking needed to realise the original print project but also in never losing sight of its legacy beyond print. Queensland, and its German and wider multicultural communites, owes a lasting debt to Detlef Sulzer and to succeeding GACCQ President Louise Moeller and founding GACCQ Treasurer Reimer Moeller, for their insight and determination to make both goals a reality. It needs to be said that this first digital (2024) edition is just that: a first. Twelve or more years ago, this work was not framed to include, for instance, embedded ‘clickable’ bookmarks (for the Table of Contents and Index), nor external hyperlinks to websites and other online resources (such as multimedia and additional background reading) which would – and yet still could – add immeasurably to the heritage stories told in its pages. And - believe you me – such exciting additional capabilities have been thoroughly discussed and investigated! It should be noted that this ‘FlippingBook’ presentation format contains a powerful Search function which, to a large extent, obviates the ‘convenience need’ for bookmarked Contents and Index links – give it a try! For now, though, it is more important that “Queensland’s German Connections” takes its first step into the digital world to help ensure its preservation for the future. Online readers are kindly requested to observe and respect the multiple layers of copyright, content sources, image acknowledgements and attributions detailed in these pages. These are the result of many hundreds of hours’ work by a very small editorial team in Brisbane, Queensland, and the efforts of countless individuals around the world. Please remember that overarching Copyright (2012–2024) of this work remains vested in the German Australian Community Centre Queensland Inc, without whose members you would not be reading this.

EDITOR Matthew Tesch

QUEENSLAND’S GERMAN CONNECTIONS past, present and future

170 years strong : 1842 – 2012

editor Matthew Tesch

contributing writers Peter Ludlow Robin Kleinschmidt

maps Matthew Tesch Kim Schusdzarra

MASTHEAD DESIGN CREATIVE

First published in Australia in 2012 by the German Australian Community Centre Queensland Inc. (GACCQ) c/- German Consulate, Level 32 AMP Place, 10 Eagle Street, Brisbane Q 4000 abn 86 270 907 794 gaccq.org.au Copyright © 2008–2012 GACCQ Inc. Copyright © 2012–2024 GACCQ Inc. (this first digital edition) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented without permission in writing from the author and publisher and from the respective Copyright holders of works referred to herein, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, webpage, internet or other broadcast. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Views expressed in this book are those of the authors, contributors and commentators, and may reflect community, social and political language and attitudes prevailing or in popular use at the time of writing, particularly so in respect of historical material referred to or cited; they do not necessarily reflect those of the German Australian Community Centre Qld Inc and may not be indicative of German or broader community and political views today. All logos, brands, graphic identities and trademarks used, depicted or referred to in this book are the property of the respective copyright holders, government departments, agencies and registered owners. You are free to: Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms: Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits. Notices: You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation. No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title Queensland’s German connections : past, present and future : 170 years strong (1842-2012) / editor and designer, Matthew Tesch ; contributing writers, Peter Ludlow, Robin Kleinschmidt ; maps and graphics, Kim Schusdzarra and Matthew Tesch. “QUEENSLAND’S GERMAN CONNECTIONS 1842-2012 - Past, present and future: 170 years strong” © 2012-2024 by GACCQ (German Australian Community Centre Queensland Inc.) and Masthead Design & Creative is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Interna tional. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

ISBN Notes

978 0 646 58427 0 (pbk.)

Includes bibliographical references and index. Germans--Queensland--History. German Australians--Queensland--History. Immigrants--Queensland--Biography. Queensland--Relations--Germany. Germany--Relations--Queensland. Queensland--Social life and customs. Tesch, Matthew Ludlow, Peter Kleinschmidt, Robin Schusdzarra, Kim German Australian Community Centre (Queensland)

Subjects

Other Authors/Contributors

Dewey Number

994.300431

Design and production (including digitisation 2022–2024) by Masthead Design & Creative masthead.au Proudly printed in Queensland by Pure Print (2012)

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This book is dedicated to our mother and father and to their mothers and fathers in the fields, over the hills and across the seas before them

The Governor of Queensland, Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley ac in the historic foyer of Fernberg , the former home of Johann Christian Heussler, built in the first decade of statehood and the official residence of Queensland’s Governors for more than a century.

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Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon. Bob Carr

On 28 January 2012 Australia and Germany marked 60 years of formal diplomatic relations. It is fitting that we reflect upon and celebrate what we have achieved in that short period, even as we focus on the exciting potential yet to be tapped in fields as diverse as hypersonics, bio-fuels, ‘green building’, renewable energy and raw materials. It is well known that the foundations of our strong and mutually beneficial relationship lie in the earliest days of European settlement of the Australian continent, when the son of a language teacher from Frankfurt, Arthur Philip, brought the First Fleet to Port Jackson and became the first governor of the colony of New South Wales. But few will be aware that official relations between Germany and Queensland actually pre-date the formal statehood of both. In 1855, less than 20 years after a small band of German missionaries established a settlement in the penal colony of Moreton Bay, the Hanseatic Free City-State of Hamburg appointed Georg Appel as its Vice-Consul in Brisbane. His son later became a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Queensland after that colony separated from New South Wales in 1859 – more than a decade before the German nation was founded, and over 40 years before federation created the Commonwealth of Australia. Unlike the more concentrated communities of South Australia’s Barossa region, in Queensland the German immigrants spread out across a landmass more than five times the size of today’s Germany, with a north-south distance equivalent to that from Oslo to Rome. Among the Germans who helped write Australia’s national story was the early 19th Century Prussian naturalist Ludwig Leichhardt, who explored vast areas of what later became Queensland and whose bicentenary we will commemorate in 2013. We may be lands apart but the intrinsic importance of each country to the other is increasingly clear. Australia welcomes Germany’s role in promoting prosperity and stability in Europe and beyond, and its significant investment footprint in Australia – including in Queensland where, for example, Germany is again investing in tungsten mines in the state’s north that were first worked in the 19th Century. For Germany, Australia is an important G20 partner with a robust and diverse economy — the fourth-largest in Asia — and a leader in promoting rules-based cooperation and sustainable development, particularly in the Asia-Pacific. Australia and Germany are well placed to prosper from our research and technological links as the world’s economic focus turns to Asia. As knowledge-based societies with strong economies we stand ready to tap into business opportunities that demand leadership in innovation and the services sector. In a rapidly changing world, with all its uncertainties, challenges and opportunities, we need close partners and friends. I am delighted that, in this anniversary year, this impressive account of Queensland’s German connections has appeared. It illuminates many lesser known facets of our long- standing friendship and bears eloquent testimony to the vibrancy and diversity of our modern partnership.

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Queensland and Germany – a success story Promoting economic, cultural and scientific relations between Germany and Queensland is one of the core tasks of the German Consulate General in Sydney, with its jurisdiction for Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. In the 1980s and early 1990s Prof. Alan Corkhill of the University of Queensland highlighted in several publications the results of research into the German presence in Queensland and its contribution to the development of the State. Twenty years later it is fair to say that the relationship has intensified significantly. Many tourists from Germany have discovered Queensland as a destination to explore the outstanding natural beauty of the State, German companies are expanding their activities in Queensland, recognising the enormous potential that the resource-rich State offers for investment and trade. Scientific cooperation between universities in Queensland and Germany covers many future-oriented fields of science to the benefit of both sides. This book, initiated by Honorary Consul Detlef Sulzer, provides – as the title “Queensland’s German connections: past, present and future” already indicates – an interesting overview of German involvement and will serve as a reference book for success stories in the vibrant relationship between Germany and Queensland.

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Contents

messages

Governor of Queensland Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley ac

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Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Australia, PNG, Solomon Islands and Noumea His Excellency Dr Christoph Müller

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Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon. Bob Carr

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Consul-General of the Federal Republic of Germany Hans-Dieter Steinbach Premier of Queensland & Minister for Reconstruction The Hon. Campbell Newman mp Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs and Minister Assisting the Premier The Hon. Glen Elmes mp xii x xi

acknowledgements

Contributors and assistance Directory of organisations

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sponsors foreword

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President of the German-Australian Community Centre Queensland Inc. Detlef Sulzer

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introduction

Editor

Matthew Tesch Methodology

style notes

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editorial team

About the contributing writers

Part 1 The Fifth Continent

1

The migrant ships

2 3 4 5 6 8

J C Godeffroy u Sohn

To the far side of the world

The sea voyage

La Rochelle Reichstag

Friedeburg – pratique or quarantine? Hilda Finger – a tale of tragedy and mystery

10 12 14 16 20 22 24 26 28 29 32 34

From sail to steam to schedules

German connections with the Brisbane River Rufus King – marine mishap or act of war?

World Wars – between and after

Der Prinzen der Südsee – legacy of the tropical princes

Columbus, containers and pizza

Tomorrow by sea Port of Brisbane

Janka’s idyllic itineraries Fifty (35) years to Frankfurt

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Part 2 Why they came

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German evolution

36 37 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 59 60 62 63 64 66 68 70 71 72 76 78 82 83 84 85 88 90 91 92 94 96 98

Auswanderer Informationen

Leaving home – preparations for departure

Why did they come? Militaristic imperatives, migrant incentives

Ludwig Leichhardt – lost but not forgotten

Lyrical Leichhardt (I) – “Launched into the wilderness” Discovering statehood – Queensland proclaimed

J C Heussler – viewing distant mountains

Der Südseekönig – Queensland a jewel in the Godeffroy crown Amalie Dietrich – “the gleam of that distant world” Why did they come? Ministry desires and high ideals Germany’s “place in the sun” – the Fatherland focuses abroad

Queensland annexes New Guinea

Franco-Prussian war veterans honoured in Brisbane

Kreuzerbesucher – colonial cruiser visitors

Colonies in conflict

Internment (I)

Mephisto – unique surivor of the Western Front

Navy fahionable

Legacy of the Langers – aesthetic escape to Queensland

What’s in a name?

Internment (II)

The adventures of Ilse Prechtel – new life for a post-war immigrant Expo’88 – Brisbane takes to the stage; West Germany’s farewell

Transformations – Queensland; Germany

Part 3 Settling in Queensland

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Überblick – an overview

Deutsche Siedlungen – settlements

Dr Wuth md – amazing journey from Hannover to Dalby Canning Downs station – some Darling Downs memories

Lyrical Leichhardt (II) – “This august solitude”

Darling Downs and beyond

Emma Holzapfel on the Fifth Continent

From Moreton Bay to Maryborough – four family snapshots

“Wir sind nun da” – Brisbane’s first free settlers

German Station – Nundah Indigenous encounters

Bethanien – Albert and Logan Germans

100 102 104 106 108 110 112 114 116 118 120 122

In the words of one who was there – founding settlers remembered The Rosewood Scrub – challenging, but not “impervious” Fertile Fassifern – feeding many, many mouths A tale of two Templins – Uckermark to Fassifern More for Maryborough – Wide Bay growers and builders Mission to Queensland – Lutheran ministry efforts

A legacy of light – Darling Downs dynasties Early viniculture – “the pure juice of the grape” Weingut Assmanshausen – vinicultural successes

In vino veritas? Ardent spirits shared

Rössler to Applethorpe – sowing the seeds of the Granite Belt

Hubinger of Cardwell – champion of the far north 126 Ludwig Gottfried Tesch – Prussian plains, noble districts and dead ends 128

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Teutoberg torment – fighting for a foot-hold in the Blackall Ranges

130 132 133 134 135 136 138 140 142 144 146 148 150 152 154 156 158 160 162 164 166 168 170 172 176 177 178 180 182 184 186 187 188 190 192 194 195 196 200 202 204 206 208 210 211 212 213 214 215

Tree-fellers of Maleny Maleny’s centenary

Ferdinand von Müller – Ein ‘vater’ von der macadamia The Hirschfelds – four generations serving UQ Albert Kleinschmidt – “A public man” in civic life Bert Hinkler – first solo flight to the Fifth Continent

Lyrical Leichhardt (III) – “Now deserving the appellation of a River”

Friedhöfe (cemeteries)

Part 4 The German legacy today

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Fernberg: a vision splendid – a vice-regal treasure today

Hinkler remembered – Bundaberg treasures

Rocky Road to Rocky Point – Heck family’s crush on Woongoolba Rocky challenges to be faced – four generations strong

Dux’s legacy – the oyster banks of Moreton Bay

Unearthing Ludwig’s legacy – translating the forgotten diaries

The Maid of Sker – Gold Coast connections

Cemeteries of the Scenic Rim – stories in metal and stone Mephisto’s new home – Queensland’s unique monster

Weisung Nr 1 – Directive Number 1: copy 2 of 8 Assmanshausen today – heritage restored Judy Spence – politics and policing shine

Queensland State Archives

Antiquarian interests – rare passion preserves documented history Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich und Frei – Brisbane Deutscher Turn Verein

Goethe Society

Keith Leopold’s legacy lives on

Political representations – parliamentary participation

Honorarkonsuln – diplomatic relations in Queensland since 1855

The “Champion” Richters of Boonah

Part 5 Cultural contributions

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On air: “Hör zu; mach mit!” – radio 4EB “listen and participate!” On air: “Hör zu; Mach mit!” – radio 4EB “listen and participate!”

25 years of DTDU Oktoberfest Brisbane

“We are tomorrow” – World Expo 2000, Hannover

Queensland rocks World Expo 2000 – “Schimmerndes Blau” Queensland Youth Orchestras – Bamberg roars for more

Maestro: Werner Andreas Albert Maestro: Johannes Fritzsch

Second-generation cuckoo – passing time on Tamborine We have secrets, but nobody cares – musician Seja Vogel

Der König der Kuchen – the King of Cakes Dietrich Lasa – a man keeping his own time Karin Schaupp – global guitar virtuoso KINO – Audi Festival of German Films

Prost! Oktoberfest München

“The best wurst in town” – Imbiss: German Sausage Hut

Gold Coast German Club

Sub-tropical Germans at Muscatels

King Ludwig’s of Maleny

Aussie brew beats Germans at own game! – Burleigh Brewing

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SAGSE Queensland – exchanging students for over 40 years

216 218 220 224 226

“Servus!” – Greetings: Wolfgang at your service

Mephisto’s amphibious recovery – dedicated QM team effort Lyrical Leichhardt (IV) – “The dreaming wanderers of the wilderness”

Multicultural Affairs Queensland

Part 6 Economic growth

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Imkerei Kriege – beekeeping wars

228 228 230 234 236 238 240 242 244 248 250 252 254 256 258 260 262 264 268 270 271 272 273 274 276 278 280 282 284 286 287 288 289 290 292 294 298 300 306 308 310 312 313

Metallurgical interests in the far north – Queensland’s mining industry Fred Zaack’s family business – injecting innovation in engineering Benfers rule the roost – counting chickens on Mount Cotton

The men who moved mountains: Thiess Brothers Russ Hinze – Queensland’s “Colossus of Roads”

Sir Sydney Schubert – grand visions become great projects Erik Finger – Main Roads Commissioner and Honorary Consul Sir Leo Hielscher ac – a lifetime’s service to Queensland Hochtief: standing behind Australia – underwater and overhead

Griffith University profiles

Thiess today

Walter Sommer oam – war refugee turned master builder

Thiess profile

Brisbane BMW and Westside BMW milestones Martin Albrecht ac – a pillar of best-practice leadership GABA – 30 years doing business in Queensland

Liebherr profile

Part 7 An energetic future

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Riding the Crest – “What you put in, you get out”

FEATURE: QUT changing lives

Research collaboration to improve human health Ultrasound and health services research Sharing expertise to improve cancer research Science, engineering, academic and industry links Australian Aerospace – leading supplier of helicopters Queensland International Fellowships Siemens: Technology for a sustainable future

The lure of Wolfram

FEATURE: UQ – global reputation, longstanding links

Two-way exchange visits Growing solar bio-fuels UQ Alumnus in Germany Unlocking brain disorders

SCRAMSPACE! – the next frontier

Professor Paul Colditz

The German underground – Brisbane being bored

Life Sciences Queensland

Trade and tourism – aktuelle Daten Dancing with an angel – DB Schenker

Deutsches Auswanderer Haus – Emigration Museum, Bremerhaven

The ‘Hamburg Season’ – QPAC In conversation – Detlef Sulzer

About the GACCQ

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Appendices

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Published works referenced

315

OTHER READING

Supplementary and additional sources

317

INTERNET

Online materials

319

INDEX

Comprehensive cross-referencing of topics, names, places and themes referred to in the main text

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Acknowledgements

The GACCQ and the book’s editorial team acknowledge the following, in broadly alphabetical order. At AEI Research: Jon Havelock in Canberra, for permission to reproduce data; Airliners.net photographers Björn Schmitt, Thomas Merkl and Gerhard Plomitzer, for responding swiftly and positively to email contacts; Gillian Simpson from the Australian National Maritime Museum, for up-anchoring historical data which no-one else seemed able to find; at the Beaudesert Times: Greg Watson and Gary Corbett (also local historian Colin Pfeffer), for allowing us to reproduce their excellent review of the cemeteries of the Scenic Rim; BrisConnections’ Dr Ray Wilson and Charles MacDonald, for getting the AirportlinkM7 open and then making time to tell us all about it; in Senator Bob Carr’s office, Sophia McIntyre co-ordinated contacts across timezones; Professor Paul Colditz got in touch and kindly gave us a precis of a fascinating family history which, as with so much other content, finds linkages across the pages to other material now that the covers have come together; at the German Consulate office in Brisbane, Ursule Sterf wrote up the history and Claudia Lüttringhaus keeps the wheels turning but still made time to bring the record up to date; DAGSE’s Michael Krüger and Linda Mains; Simone Eick from the DAH Deutsches Auswanderer Haus in Bremerhaven, for graciously allowing us to use material about this excellent museum; DFAT’s Günter Schlothauer in Berlin, for timely logistical support; DTDU’s irrepressible pair, Wolfgang Kreuzer and Marianne Prell; from GABA, Jürgen Hoppe, John Kahlert, Jürgen Wöhrle and Gabi Zoulek dug out much valuable material and images; to the Goethe Society’s Barb and Bruce Downie, grateful thanks for your passion and commitment to keeping Keith Leopold’s legacy alive and relevant to a new generation of students of German language and culture; at Government House, Michael Otago kindly checked the manuscript about Fernberg and made a number of factual corrections; Griffith University (here) Janice Mitchell, and (abroad) Associate Professor Regina Ganter, kindly gave permission to use, and provided timely edits and updates for, their sesquicentennial research into Lutheran ministries across Queensland; Jörn Harbeck needed little persuasion but more time to tell us about his passion for rare books and old documents, but still managed to give some enthralling insights; we very much appreciate Brian Kelly allowing us access to his incredible collection of military memorabilia; our thanks to Ipswich City Council, for the stellar interest and and assistance of Sally Hetherington, Jo and Erin; in Toowoomba, Russell Kanowski volunteered a sizeable trove of material collected by he and his historian cousin, which yielded the jewel of Dr Wuth’s letter; at LSQ, Mario Pennisi and Tiarn Carmichael were equally keen to update ground-breaking clinical collaborations; Phyllis McGill uncovered and recorded a remarkable historical tale, and facilitated the inclusion of a number of other key stories; Ralph Middenway’s operetta about Amalie Dietrich was an unexpected cyberspace discovery, and we extend our thanks for his prompt replies and our apologies for lacking the space to include would have been a truly unique sidebar story; former MilesFromNowhere band members Dan Carter and Chris Dillon gave an afternoon (and shouted the beers) to indulge in some musical reminiscing; Geoff Rosbrook from the QYO/QYS made time he really didn’t have to bring us up to speed on our young musicians’ orchestral triumphs in Germany; our appreciation to Scilla and David Rosenberg, from Rosenberg Publishing, for courteous service, contact and permissions, putting us in touch with Peter Plowman, who kindly contributed images from his collection on emigrant shipping; thanks to Delphine and Glenn Rouessart, for putting their serving sizes and memories to the test; Mark Schuster occupies a rare niche in the social literature; Georg Sewig cast his mind back to the heady days of setting up a World Expo to translate Brisbane’s experiences across to Hannover; to Lyn Spriggs and her family historians, for permission to access and source material from her excellent website; Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s librarians and archivists Julanne Neal and Carol Hawley responded expeditiously and helpfully to enquiries; to Tablelands Regional Council mayor Rosa Lee Long, a special thank-you. In the ranks of our sponsors and advertisers, our key contacts have included, at AHK: Ursula Eisenbeis, Christian Haag; Australian Aerospace: Nathan Pick; Bauer Foundations: Kate Mills, Gerhard Zylowski; Bavarian Hospitality Group: Jennifer Christodoulou; BMW: Greg Moore (Melbourne), Alicia Grant (Brisbane); Crest Electronics: Wolfgang Olbertz, Dean Wall; DB Schenker: Daisy Shen, Joe Dadic: Deutsche Rohstoff: Dr Titus Gebel, Dr Thomas Gutschlag; German Sausage Hut: Richard and Monika Windt; Heck Group: Bill Heck; Hochtief: Lisa Zindler-Roggow; IIM: Richard Arnold K&K: Wolfgang Kaspar (and Jim Allen); King of Cakes: Wolfgang Kelke, Josef Solidum; Liebherr: Franziska Schulz (Adelaide), Renata Hjelmstrom (Brisbane); Mercedes-Benz: Lucy Martyniak, Emma Longden; MMIC: Dr Frank Leschhorn; Oktoberfest Brisbane: Reimer Möller; QPAC: Jacquelyn Malouf, Melissa Stewart, Leisa Bacon, Judy Worsfold; QUT: Professor Ross Young, Rick Lord, Millie York, Nicole Patterson, Tracy Straughan, Leonard Fitzpatrick, Annie Liu, Novella Moncrieff, Kristina Sinclair, Bernard Muchison, Sharyn Maskell, Ray Kelly, Scott Shepperd and Tony Wilson; Siemens: Karen Johnston; Thiess: Michelle Cousins; University of Queensland: Tegan Radford Beer was the efficient portal through which UQ’s contributions were channelled. Special mention must be made of the assistance provided by the Queensland Government on many levels: first, for generously making available many of the images–historical and contemporary–used throughout the book, from the Queensland State Archives collection as well as from individual departments and agencies. The same level of professional service was delivered in sourcing materials, providing and checking data, answering queries and cross-referencing contacts and, although it is not practicable to identify all the departments and agencies here, we would like to thank the efforts of Anthony Brown, Scott Carlisle, John Crawford, Simon Fischer, Mark Jacobs, Michelle Kennedy, Lauren Leggate, Jacquie McCarthy, Lara McKay, Karen Morris, Adam Pittard, Rita Ren, Michelle Ryan and Lee-Darnell Toia, among many others, and particularly acknowledge the individuals who co-ordinated and channelled much of the Queensland Government’s support for our efforts: Sharon Bailey, Cathy ter Bogt, Rod Fensham, Louisa Hastings-Ison, Iwona Klos, Stewart Macintyre, Debbie Olckers, Jaclyn Oudejans, Natalie Pflaum, Dr Michael Westaway, Rob Whiddon, and Ken Smith in London. On a different logistical note, our thanks to Noela Kleinschmidt and Isolde Neugart (among others) for eagle-eyed proofreading; to Jo Mould, who stepped up to the plate and typed the electronic copy of Dr Wuth’s letter to enable its inclusion here; and to Kim Schusdzarra, for the memorable maps. In any book, particularly one as complex and wide-ranging as this, several years in development, listing those who have provided contributions, assistance or permissions risks an inadvertent oversight or omission; should this be the case, if brought to our attention it may be rectified in any future edition. Above all, our grateful thanks to all the interviewees, and contributors to the editorial writers, who gave their time and material so generously and helped make this a more lively and vibrant book. It would not have been the same without you.

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Platinum sponsors

Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany to Southern Queensland

Foundation sponsor

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Gold sponsors

BOULDER STEEL LIMITED

Sommer & Staff

The Group

In addition to the acknowledgements above are two anonymous Gold sponsors, and we thank you for your contributions.

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Silver sponsors

HECK GROUP

IIM Industrial Installation & Maintenance

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BERLIN: now and then Friedrichstrasse (without the ‘scharfes-S’) is once more a lively and bustling north-south axis in the centre of Germany’s capital city, after its years of east-west

division through the Cold War, the main image taken from the same Friedrichstraße S-Bahn bridge in the 1913 postcard view below.

bocman1973 / shutterstock.com

Sergey Goryachev / shutterstock.com

image 6418 state library of queensland

pawel papis / shutterstock.com

BRISBANE: now and then Petrie Bight, once lined with wharves serving international and interstate shipping and base for the city’s tugboat fleet, is now straddled by the iconic Story Bridge, and cruise vessels and the popular CityCat high-speed ferries are the principal river traffic; the city’s skyline has changed and grown since the main image was made, but it’s an excellent contrast with the 1895 postcard.

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Foreword Detlef Sulzer

Vorwort

In 2009, on the occasion of the State Library of Queensland’s 75th birthday celebrations, I became even more aware, through its rich archives, of the considerable German immigration that had occurred in Queensland prior to the First World War and following the Second World War. In contrast to South Australia, however, much less is known in Queensland of its German heritage, and this inspired me to prepare a publication which not only presents stories of early German communities and their members, but also portrays many aspects of their undertakings which are still both noticeable and important to life in Queensland today. This book is not intended to be an academic history of German settlement in Queensland, but rather sets out to provide a compendium of essays and images which lead the reader through many of the facets of the immigrants’ journeys and the social, cultural, business and economic contributions they have brought to this beautiful state. Without doubt, those settlers have played a vital role in the development of Queensland, Likewise, today, German immigrants and industry are involved and investing in many areas of its progress and prosperity. As much had been forgotten over the years about their humble beginnings, one of the aims of this book is to provide an engaging insight into the arrival of German settlers and progress of their offspring throughout the ensuing 170 years. And, as this book has evolved, the present has brought the future into sharper focus, with the exciting work being done across many areas of shared interests, research and academic collaborations. I would like to thank Her Excellency Penelope Wensley ac, Governor of Queensland, for her encouragement of this project from its outset, and for her warm and continuing interest in its development and conclusion. Also I am thankful for and indebted to the support and encouragement which I received from the former Lord Mayor of Brisbane, now Premier of Queensland, the Honourable Campbell Newman mp; Professor Anna Haebich, former Historian-in-Residence at the State Library and Professor of History at Griffith University, now Professor of History at Western Australia’s Curtin University; the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk mp, former Minister for Transport, Main Roads and Multicultural Affairs, now Leader of the Opposition; Garry Page, Executive Director of Multicultural Affairs Queensland; His Excellency Dr Michael Witter, former German Ambassador to Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, now the Federal Republic’s Ambassador to Morocco; Hans-Günther Gnodtke, former Consul-General of the Federal Republic of Germany for NSW and Queensland, now Ambassador in Yemen; Ken Smith, Queensland’s Agent General for Europe in London, Sir Leo Hielscher ac, Foundation Chairman of the Queensland Treasury Corporation; and Martin Albrecht ac, Chairman of GeoDynamics. It is important, too, that I acknowledge the guidance and facilitation of His Excellency Peter Tesch, Australia’s Ambassador to Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, who serves both his country of birth and his family’s heritage with dignity, good humour and consummate professionalism; without him, in many respects, this book would be a languishing, unmanifest good idea.

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This book would, equally, not have been possible without the generosity of the many sponsors whose interest in presenting their role in the Germany– Queensland relationship, and participation in the informative content of this book, has also greatly enhanced its outcome. It is significant that the sponsorship ranges from small-medium enterprises and family businesses started by German immigrants, to multi-national corporations and leading academic institutions in both countries. Interest, from the outset, came from all points of the scale, the tangible support provided by Garry Page from Multicultural Affairs, and Germany’s construction giant hochtief ag, enabling this project to take form. I am most grateful for receiving from the former Premier, Anna Bligh, and her staff, both warm endorsement and the Queensland Government‘s generous foundation sponsorship. I also thank most sincerely the principal of Masthead Design & Creative, Matthew Tesch, who has been the fantastic editor and graphic designer of this book. Of German descent himself, his 25 years’ award-winning experience in the design, print, publishing and marketing fields enabled him to immediately grasp the concept and vision which I had in mind for this project, and he has brought it to life as its creative driving force over the two years it has taken to bring it to fruition. In this, we have been ably served by the talents and experience of two key contributing writers: Peter Ludlow, well-known Queensland historian and publisher of many Moreton Bay histories, and Robin Kleinschmidt, who researched and published the magnificent hardback From Stegelitz to Steiglitz: the history of the Kleinschmidt Family. Their interviews and writing have captured not only the incredible tenacity of the early German settlers but also the successful establishment of many German families and businesses in Queensland, and brought many little-known stories to light. My thanks also to the members and committee of the GACCQ Inc, who have given their fullest support to this book, from its conception to its publication. But my greatest thanks, and indebtedness, are due to my wife Carole, who shared with me, willingly or otherwise, the many frustrations, setbacks and disappointments in this book’s path which defied even a German engineer’s ability to surmount, and who nonetheless maintained her grace and patience as my strength and balance throughout. Today about a quarter of a million Queenslanders have a grandparent or great-grandparent of German descent and there are, in addition, approximately 20,000 German nationals presently living in southern Queensland. It is for all of them this book is published.

Detlef Sulzer ba bai m.s c fie a ust. cp e ng. President, German-Australian Community Centre Queensland Inc. Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany for Southern Queensland Chairman, Boulder Steel Limited September 2012

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Introduction Matthew Tesch

It is traditional that an Introduction tells the reader something of what the work is about, what its aim is, and how it all arrived at this point. We’ll get to that, but first I need you to know what this book is not , just to be sure we are, indeed, on the same page. This is not a book intended, nor designed, to be read from cover to cover, and certainly not in one sitting. You can do that if you want, of course, but it may be a bit like trying to swim laps in a spa bath or plunge-pool. What could be more stimulating, surprising and delightful is if you open some pages at random, glance at whatever catches your interest, and allow yourself to follow your eye wherever that topic may lead. Bit of an unusual methodology for something this hefty and rich, you might think. Especially with the word ‘German’ so prominent in the title. An orderly program of alpha-numeric, dot-pointed chronological progression of content, and all that … Sure, we could have tried that approach and, in fact, this project began life as something of an immigration history. But it became apparent that this would be walking a well-trodden path, and would be competing in the footnote stakes with more serious and scholarly works. It’s often what you find, beachcombing, when you turn over a few rocks and start to realise that perhaps few others have seen the same view in quite the same way, which sets your collection on its own path. The bibliographic record of this work states that it “examines a broad range of topics and themes with the common thread of ‘Queensland’s connections with Germany’ and ranges from stories of the first immigrants in the 19th century, across the social, cultural and economic contributions they and their successors have made, to the shared collaborations of the 21st century, investigating biofuels and hypersonic flight. “Written and compiled by a small core team,” the National Library of Australia and ISBN notes continue, “the book incorporates many first- hand accounts, family histories, and insights into business and research, prepared by a range of external contributors. The book has been designed and presented in full colour, with a lavish selection of images and graphics, and a lively and engaging array of writing styles and page layouts, designed to attract and entice the reader into learning more about the breadth, depth, history and future potential of this unique international connection. “Set out across seven parts, with a mix of chronological and topical threads, this book gives a ‘magazine-style’ overview with a modular selection of essay topics. The view through the prism defining ‘connection’ is an interesting one: this book does not set out to recount documented history; rather its aim has been to surprise and inspire.” Those words and goals ring as true now, as the pages are transferred to the printers, as they did when they were tapped into the keyboard many months ago. As vision and mission statements go – and it’s often illuminating to look back on them long after they’re defined – I think it’s safe to say this book has delivered. Its conception, evolution and development has been challenging, remarkable, stressful but unquestionably worthwhile.

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I often found myself reflecting upon my paternal great-great grandparents, who, in May 1863, exchanged the woods and fields of Prussia’s Uckermark for what had been described by migration agent Johann Heussler as “noble districts” but which turned out instead to be the steamy scrub of Waterford and the almost inaccessible and unworkable slopes of Witta. Their journey via the Elbe and North Sea to the shores of Moreton Bay and the Logan called for an irreversible decision to change homelands – a massive gamble which might have gone badly wrong but which, through persistent hard work, paid handsome dividends. It would be doing them, and the many thousands like them, an injustice to suggest a direct comparison, but there have been times I felt a keen empathy with Great-Great Grandpa Ludwig, wielding an axe on a springboard 60 feet up in the rainforest with nothing between him and the ground. There was much to be discovered as this project evolved and took form; sometimes patterns emerge only after up-ending boxes and moving their contents around. It was curious to learn that my forebears shared the same rolling decks as Amalie Dietrich on their life-changing journeys to the Fifth Continent, and something to flag for later investigation to see if Bert Hinkler’s father was on that, or another, voyage of the La Rochelle . But that’s looking back, and this book is about much more than the journey. There are surprises in equal measure, in Queensland’s German connections, in all manner of things today. I have been privileged to collaborate with two highly experienced writers, Peter Ludlow and Robin Kleinschmidt, in giving voice to these stories, and our efforts have been resoundingly endorsed by Detlef Sulzer as we’ve strived to actualise his vision for just such a book. Despite numbering builders and wheelwrights amongst my ancestors I want to reiterate that we’ve not set out to ‘reinvent the wheel’. So let’s close this bit with a reminder of words others wrote a quarter-century ago; they resonate still. In August 1987, six months shy of Brisbane’s ‘coming-of-age party’ at Expo’88, the University of Queensland’s Department of German hosted a conference which mined a rich vein of contributors. In their Introduction to the published collected papers, editors Jurgensen and Corkhill wrote: “It must be clear from the wide range of topics that a unified approach or shared methodology would have been inappropriate. To a very large extent the nature of the subject determined the manner of its treatment. This collection brings together contributions which are academic studies, literary criticism, club histories and homages, scholarly and creative writing, descriptive accounts and argumentative reasoning. If there is one factor they all share, it is that they ultimately add up to a mosaic of the German Presence in Queensland.” They surely nailed it then. I hope we have now, as well, in our own way. In browsing through these pages, the moment you find yourself realising ‘Gee, I didn’t know that ’, we will have fulfilled our goal with this book. Dive in and enjoy it. And remember those who will follow us, too.

Matthew Tesch September 2012

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Style notes

Measurements are given in order of units appropriate to their context. For example, a 19th century emigrant leaving Germany will embark on a ship measured in metres (feet) and weighing so many Commerzlasten * (tons). On arrival at Moreton Bay, their overland (or river) journey is some miles (kilometres) to a piece of land assessed in acres (hectares). That of course will evolve in the latter and more recent parts of the book, as Queensland and Australia joined Europe in the Metric System. Strenuous efforts have been made to not overdo things (conversions and other interventions) at the expense of the reading flow. Names of places and vessels can be subject to interpretation, nuances of hearing, journalistic rigour and the prevailing vernacular. It is less critical to a work like this whether a writer refers to Zion’s Hill or Zion Hill; what’s important is that you get that they’re talking about German Station. Today’s Brisbane suburb of Nundah, in other words. Sidestepping rigorous application of style and dictionary, in general terms in these pages ‘emigrants’ are people going somewhere, and ‘immigrants’ are coming. The terms have been used interchangeably by many writers over the years, depending on morés and perspective. For our purposes, they will mean the same thing – people taking perhaps the biggest steps of their lives – and we’ll let the original voices do the talking. It all comes down to where you’re standing at the time and which direction you’re facing. And the language used will be that of the individual, and their time and place; attitudes and outlook may be different to that which we’re accustomed today. That is a fact of history and context. More recent contributors have also had some leeway in freedom of expression, punctuation and grammar. Merbs and Marbs and Marbz have been variously written and typeset as the name of the same sailing ship. Say the syllable aloud and you’ll hear the point about not getting too worked up about it. Inconsistencies have been moderated where they may confuse or distract the reader, but we’re not going to force you to choose between Westphalia and Westfalen simply for the sake of uniformity: an English writer will refer to ‘Pomerania’ and a German to Pommern ; they’re the same thing and need no editorial interruption. On which note, ‘single inverted commas’ may be used to draw attention to terms, accented expressions, or the first use of proper names which are then generally treated in italics . Similarly, italics are used for proper names, blocks of directly-quoted speech , acts of parliament , or German words or titles , where the reader may appreciate a subtle visual cue to change gears. The glossary went out the same door as the footnotes, swiftly followed by lists of abbreviation and tables of measurement or linguistic conversions. We’ve aimed to provide sufficient context for smooth reading enjoyment, otherwise this book would require a wheelbarrow to shift it. (* Commerzlasten , or CL, refers to one unit of weight measurement – the Last – used in 18th and 19th century Europe, before the adoption of tonnage in either its metric or imperial forms. As a unit of Last varied depending on whether the substance was grain or salt, for instance, it follows that it describes a density weight with little universality and no single precise conversion formula. It was used for more than ships, and the same vessel will turn up in different sources with various CL weights but, as we measure Gross- or Net-Registered Tonnages (tonnes) or ‘displacement’ today, it’s hard to be critical. If you grasp that a ‘33m-long barque’ is a 100-foot, three-masted sailing ship, its ‘weight’ is immaterial here – and CL won’t come up again after Part 1 anyway.)

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About the editorial team

Matthew Tesch has designed, illustrated, written or edited seven books during a 25-year career in graphic design, marketing and publishing; this book is his eighth, and a ninth is about to push-back and call for taxi clearance. A former commercial pilot, his impressive body of work reflects those early aeronautical interests, ranging from aviation history (two volumes of Eric Allen’s Airliners in Australian Service ) and air safety investigation (three sold-out volumes of Macarthur Job’s Air Disaster series) to a pivotal editorial, design and production role in the more recent ABBA: Let the music speak – a 420-page world’s first analysis of the music and techniques of the Swedish supergroup. This is complemented by an extensive portfolio of technical publications and experience across a wide gamut of client industries, and he is also providing editorial guidance for a Doctoral thesis. He has produced numerous commissioned works in a range of media, including gouache, watercolour, oils and hand-made aircraft and ship models. His creative work has won for his clients a string of state, territory and national tourism awards. He is a fourth-generation descendant of immigrants who arrived from Prussia on several sailings of the La Rochelle and Reichstag , and has visited the country of his forebears more than a dozen times. This triggered waves of personal and community interest, throughout the 1990s, in gathering and recording historical material about Moreton Bay from those who have lived, worked and played around its waterways and islands. The accrued material is sorted and compiled, then disseminated back to the community through published books, interviews and talks, and, since 1997, via his online blog and website www.moretonbayhistory.com. The popular Moreton Bay People series – volumes 1 to 5 – was a collection of yarns about Moreton Bay life by the locals who knew it best. A combined edition in 2001 brought the earlier books together under one cover, Moreton Bay People – The Complete Collection, and was followed by two sequels: Moreton Bay Letters (2003) and Moreton Bay Reflections (2007). In demand as a speaker at many public and community events, Peter’s other works include Mater Scripts: The History of the Mater Hospital Pharmacy 1930–2010 (published) and a commissioned history of the Port of Brisbane told through the words of its workers and other characters on the river, during its life as and evolution beyond Brisbane’s working waterway (in production late 2012). Robin Kleinschmidt has a long-standing interest in 19th century German migration to southeast Queensland. Beginning with his family’s arrival in 1864, he has expanded his interest and research to many other families and groups and the districts and regions in which they settled. Since retiring in 2001 he has written or edited five books with an historical background. The most recent (2011) is Stegelitz to Steiglitz, the history of the Kleinschmidt family in Germany and Australia . A major work of 520 pages, its production involved research in State Archives in Potsdam and church archives in Berlin and Brandenburg-an-der-Havel, as well as libraries in Canberra, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. His formal academic qualifications are a BA (First Class Honours) and a B.Ed from the University of Queensland. Peter Ludlow is an author and local historian with many books and collected works to his name, the first, titled Peel Island – Paradise or Prison , published in 1988 as a personal contribution to Australia’s Bicentenary events.

Information about the GACCQ may be found on page 313.

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