QUEENSLAND'S GERMAN CONNECTIONS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

The “Champion” Richters of Boonah

As Robin Kleinschmidt introduced earlier in this book, in his overview of the Fassifern Germans, Friedrich Richter and son Harold did some truly remarkable things during their lives. Friedrich established a coach- and body-building business, and not only parlayed his farming, mechanical and business skills into an award- winning export business which survived until the late 1980s, but also produced an only son who was knighted before his retirement from the Queensland parliament in 1972. On his farm at Teviotville in 1908, Friedrich designed, built and patented the world’s first maize husker and sheller. He marketed it under the name ‘The Champion’, offering several models. He also invented other farm machinery, including peanut threshers and ‘prickly pear pulpers’! For 30 years the machines were manufactured on the farm and were sold all over Australia, despatched from the Teviotville railway station to Ipswich, thence Brisbane and beyond. Harold, Friedrich’s only son, was born in 1906 and, nine years after Friedrich died in 1930, Harold transferred the business to Boonah. With a timely eye on the approaching global tensions, he expanded the range of products to include innovative machines for digging potatoes, picking corn and ‘top-and-tailing’ onions. During World War II the pressures on the farming industry created such demand that the factory worked three shifts a day. In the 1950s, Harold’s sons Howard and Graham joined the firm, taking over its management when their father entered politics. In 1972 they acquired full ownership, converting the business into a company called Richter Engineering Pty Ltd. In 1982 the name changed again to Richter Machinery (Aust.) Pty Ltd. The development of new machinery, mainly for the harvest and handling of root vegetables, continued. In 1981 they won two prestigious export awards. They had achieved international recognition and their range of no less than 86 different

In 1987 Richter Machinery was taken over by a corporate company avowed on its expansion, but it was closed down soon afterwards for unexplained reasons. Nevertheless, the history of the company provides an example of the technical, commercial and entrepreneurial skills to be found among the families of German immigrants. After delegating the management of the family firm to sons Howard and Graham when he entered State Parliament, Harold served as the Member for Somerset for 15 years from 1957 to 1972. He had previously been the Vice-President of the Country Party for some years. From 1961 to 1963 he was Minister for Public Works and Local Government and from 1963 to 1969 Minister for Local Government and Conservation, resigning from the ministry at that election. He received a knighthood and as Sir Harold Richter retired from the parliament at the next election in 1972.

machines was being exported to Africa, Asia, Japan, the Pacific Islands, South America and the West Indies.

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