4.1.6 Ferdinand Wilhelm Lobegeiger m Marie Goetke

1.6  Ferdinand Wilhelm Lobegeiger  born 25 June 1856 Charlottenhof and married Marie Goetke 14 July 1877 in Qld.  They had 9 children and he died 19 March 1926 and is buried Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery.

Marie was the sister of Auguste Goetke who married Rev Wilhelm Peters

FERDINAND LOBEGEIGER

Ferdinand, sixth child of Wilhelm and Caroline Lobegeiger, married Marie Goetke about 1877 and had a family of 9 children.


Their children

4.1.6.1  Marie Lobegeiger  b 6  Aug 1878  William Horton  1901  d  20 Aug 1948   Drayton
4.1.6.2  Sarah Lobegeiger  b 8 Sept 1879  m  Johan Friedrich Dieckmann 1898 d 28 Nov 1947  Kalbar
4.1.6.3  Johannes Lobegeiger  b 26 Mar 1881  m Bertha Emily Moller 1909 
                                            d  3 Aug 1947 Toowoomba
4.1.6.4   Hilda Lobegeiger  b 31 Dec 1884 m Jacob Richter 1904  d 10 Feb 1922
4.1.6.5   Henry Lobegeiger   b 8 Feb 1887  m Lena Elsie Drews  1917  d 1953
4.1.6.6   Andrew Lobegeiger b 9 Oct 1888 m Amy Christina Hinton 1910  d  18 Oct 1967
4.1.6.7   Amelia Lobegeiger  b 6 Aug 1890  m  William Edwar Kely 1911 d 20 Mar 1962
4.1.6.8   Johanna Lobegeiger b 11 Oct 1892 m James Edward Gruer 1911 d 3 July 1916
4.1.6.9  Ferdinand Lobegeiger b 14 Feb 1898 m Dora May Cotterell 1919  d  17 Dec 1955 Drayton

In the 1880' they built a sugar mill at the foot of Mt. French.  Later the land was owned by the Neundorfs, neat Lotz's farm in the beautiful Fassifern Valley.

Set in a vast amphitheatre of hills and mountains, Fassifern has been aptly described as the "Switzerland of Queensland", lacking only the snow on its mountain tops to complete the picture.

Whether seen in deep blue shadow under the overhanging clouds, or clear cut in the afterglow of the sunset, the mountain boundaries of the district always give this alp-like impression.  It is possible that Allan Cunningham first saw them veiled in mist, recalling to his mind the romantic beauty of his native mountains. In this exclusive corner of Queensland, exclusive because no rail, road or tourist highway had been cut through its mountain vastness, are many beauty spots known only to those who dwell within the boundaries of the Great Dividing Range.

For some unknown reason the sugar mill was not a success.  It is said the sugar content in the cane was too low, to make it a paying proposition.  So the mill and the land was sold, and the family moved on.

While living at Mt French as it was called, Marie, Sarah and John - the three eldest children walked the three miles to the Engelsburg School which was opened in 1885.  They went to school for about 3 weeks.  The family then selected land in 1888 at what was later called Charlwood.

The district was a maze of deep gullies, though picturesque, the flora and fauna proved formidable obstacles, to those early settlers.  The dense scrub, which was an entanglement of vines, with rocks and stones, was alive with snakes, wallabies, kangaroo rats, bandicoots and dingoes roaming in packs.

The family’s diet consisted of wallabies, wild birds and other game and vegetables which grew prolifically in the virgin scrub land.  There were no butchers or bakers.  Farms in those days were much more self contained and self-supporting than they are now.  They killed their own beef and baked their own bread and made their own yeast for the baking.  It was the day of horse and dray transport and roads were just rough bush tracks.

The pioneers had to make the best of what they could obtain on the land with primitive methods.  Axe chopped slabs were used for buildings and later pit sawn timber was used.

The axes of the hardy pioneer farmers felled the miles of virgin scrub and tilled the soil with patient unremitting toil.  Now for miles upon end prosperous farms are cultivated with modern implements, and comfortable homes cover the rolling hills, once dense with impenetrable jungle growth.  Fassifern became a closely settled district with a rapidly growing population.

There was no school at Charlwood for a number of years.  Later it took six troubled years of negotiations and hard work before the Charlwood School was opened in 1896.  It was built by John Wiffler and Ferdinand Lobegeiger, refer Engelsburg State School Centenary Book page 66 - 74)

Their daughter Sarah married John Dieckmann on 28^th September 1898.   Sarah and John settled at Fassifern Scrub.  The family (Ferdinand) sold his farm at Charlwood to Fred Pfeffer about 1898.

In 1897 a section of Headington Hill Station, a sheep station on the Darling Downs was thrown open for selection.  Ferdinand and his brother August with their families moved to the Downs and selected some of this land in the Kings Creek area near Nobby.

Kuhn Road Kings Creek

Where there, Mary married William Horton, they lived on the land, and later retired to Clifton.

John married Bertha Moller and lived on the land in the Fassifern area for many years, later moving to Toowoomba where the family finished their schooling.

By then Ferdinand, Marie and two sons had moved to Toowoomba, where they worked in the Toowoomba Foundry until their retirement.

Hilda returned to Kalbar and married Jacob Richter, they settled at Aratula where Jacob set up the first business as a blacksmith shop.  After Hilda passed away the family moved to the Toogoolawah District, working on dairy farms.

This was the Mallison's Diary farm

Henry married Elsie Drew - lived and worked in Toowoomba.

Emilie married Jim Kely who was a drover and settled in the Quilpie area.

Andrew married Amy Hinton, was in the Police Force for a time, and later became an engine driver with the Queensland Railways, stationed at Ipswich, Dugandan and Esk.

Hannah married Jim Gruer at Kalbar, they later moved to his home at Bendigo in Victoria.  Hannah died at an early age, and a few months later Jim was found dead, accidently.  The children, three girls, were brought back to Queensland by boat and were taken care of by Marie, Mary and Sarah.

Fred married May and lived and worked in Toowoomba.

Henry and Fred were also members of the Toowoomba Municipal Band for many years.

Ferdinand passed away in 1926 aged 70 years.  His descendants are scattered far and wide.  Today there pilots, doctors, nursers, schoolteachers, musicians, mechanics, carpenters, dressmakers, engineers and farmers.  We have much to be thankful for - to be an Australian and free, that is our most cherished possession, and what we do from now on that is of vital importance. 

Possibly that is why the "old" people came out here.      By Valma Ferrar

CHILDREN OF FERDINAND LOBEGEIGER AND MARIE (GOETKE)

1.6.1  Marie            6 Aug 1878  m  William Horton   1901  d  1948                               9 children

1.6.2  Sarah          8 Sept 1879          M John Frederick Diekmann  1898  d 28 Nov 1947     8 children 1.6.3  Johannnes         30 Nov 1886    Married Bertha Moller  1909

1.6.4  Hilda               31 Dec 1884     Married Jacob Richter      d 10 Feb 1922              11 children

1.6.5  Henry              8 Feb 1887    Married Lena Elsie Drew 1917       d 1953               1 child

1.6.6  Amelia             6 Mar 1890 m  Jim Keley  1911  d 1962                                     8 children
1.6.7  Andrew            9 Oct 1888  Married Amy Hinton  1910       d 18 Oct 1967        14 children

1.6.8  Johanna           11 Oct 1892   Married Jim Gruer 1911       d 3 July 1916 Vict     3 children

1.6.9  Ferdinand         14 Feb 1898  M Doris May  Cotterell    1919 d  17 Dec 1855      4 children

Amelia Lobegeiger

CHILDREN OF SARAH LOBEGEIGER AND JOHN DIEKMANN                             

1.6.2.1  Emily Ellen (Eva)  Born 23 Aug 1899  Married Harry Krueger  1925  d 9 Mar 1938            

1.6.2.2  Benjamin Albert  Born 20 Mar 1901   Married Lena Schossow   1928  8 Jan 1951  4 children

1.6.2.3  Alexander Andrew  Born 13 Jan  1904 Married Rose Korner 1925 d 10 July 1969  4 children 
1.6.2.4  Norman Leslie        Born 28 Oct 1905   Married Alice Tubman  1934 d    1977       2 children

1.6.2.5   Annie Dieckmann   Born 6 Dec 1907  d  6 Dec 1907
1.6.2.6   Irene Sarah          Born 10 Jan 1909   Married Fred Gutke 1931  24 Nov 1979      4 children

1.6.2.7   Leonard John      Born  2 Apr 1911   Married Dawn O'Callaghan   d 29 Dec 1990  6 children

1.6.2.8   Eric Sydney         Born 1914          Married Nita Gillson  1936                     4 children

1.6.2.9  Myfanwy Valma   Born 13 Sept 1916          Married George Ferrar    d 2005     4 children

 

Once again the marriages are intermingled  Carl Fredrich Dieckmann was born 1851 in Templin
He was the son of Carl Friedrich Dieckmann 1821 and Wilhelmine Friederike Doring 1811

 He left Germany in 1865 on the Ceuser Gatefrau with his parents and sister
and arrived in Queensland 1866

He married Friedricke Schmidt  born 1856.  at Minden on 23rd July 1874   He died 20 Aug 1933 


Johann Friedrich Dieckmann  28 Mar 1873 m Sarah Lobegeiger 1898  d 7 Feb 1935
Carl Freidrich          15 Apr 1877  m Auguste Louise Fritz 1903  d 18 Aug  1950
Friedrich William  21 May 1879  m  Magdalena Pfeffer 1904  d  4 August 1962
Wilhelmina  29 April 1882  m   Charles Davis  1902   d  July 1969
Bertha Amelia   1884  m  Thomas James McCallum  1912  d  11 Feb 1959 
Auguste Emilie  10 April 1889  m  William Francis Wildey  1913  d  1 August 1963
Elizabeth Emma 23 March 1895  m  Basil Alfred Strachan  1919   d 1 Sept 1972


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MUCH conjecture surrounds the history of the Dugandan Hotel. In some circles it is believed to be Boonah’s oldest pub building, built by the Stumer family in 1886. However those who subscribe to this argument say it is not the area’s oldest pub, due to it starting life as a general store, before being transformed into a hotel in the early 1900s.
However an article published in the Fassifern Guardian in 2006 argues that the Dugandan Hotel was actually a new building, commissioned by the Goan Family, and constructed to replace the Stumer store.
An article in the October 9, 1909 edition of the Fassifern Guardian says: ‘Mr Goan’s fine new hotel at Dugandan is now almost completed and it is expected that everything will be in readiness for opening business on or about the 27th.’
Later in the month the Guardian reported: ‘The new hotel at Dugandan is now completed. We were shown over the building yesterday by the builder, Mr Vincent, and were impressed with the thorough workmanship put into its construction. Now that the structure is complete to all outward appearance it looks quite an architectural acquisition.”

1902

THE Australian Hotel, which Boonah locals affectionately call the Aussie, is thought to be the town’s first pub.
It was built on its existing High Street site in 1888 and was established by the Blumberg family and opened under the management of Mr FW Wilkins, who had ‘considerable experience as a publican in California and elsewhere, and as he is about to erect a billiard room and there is excellent shooting in the vicinity, no doubt his entrepreneurship will be well rewarded’ (QT 18 April, 1889).
However Mr Wilkins’ tenure was not long-lived and in 1890 Adolph Blumberg took over the hotel. Later the hotel was run by Mrs Elizabeth Blumberg, widow of Levi.
In 1893 the pub survived an arson attempt. On 24 November, 1893 the Brisbane Courier reported that Boonah’s first policeman, Senior Constable Dunn noticed a flash of light as he returned from his stables to the station about 3am.
He looked towards the Australian Hotel and noticed the front of the building was ablaze.
The fire was extinguished using blankets and water and a volunteer firefighter found that the verandah had been doused with kerosene. So much kerosene had been used that it had run under the building where the stumps were well alight.
The pub survived the attempt and in the 1940s a dining room was added, along with a gentlemen’s room.

THE Simon’s Tavern which stands in Boonah’s High Street looks nothing like the ornate hotel which first opened its doors on the site in 1902.

Carl Gustav Simon was the original developer and owner and Simon’s Tavern. A Fassifern Guardian story suggests the pub was the result of a German Lottery win for Simon and his two friends.
The trio shared the winning 2000 pound windfall and Gustav Simon decided to use his new fortune to build an impressive two-storey hotel beside his existing saddler building. He engaged local architect, Edward de Saluz Kretshmer to design the building. By 1902 it was open for business.

A story in the Fassifern Advocate on September 13 said: “Would you find a second hotel in Queensland that could compare with this; with its paneled walls in all rooms and passages throughout the whole building? An hotel which, besides the bar, can boast of 30 lofty and well-ventilated rooms, and where the proprietor, standing inside the bar, can overlook the front and back entrance, and at the same time can see through the doors of six rooms and conveniently serve at three bar tables.
“As to the outside appearance of the hotel, those who have seen the freshmen kiosk of Mr Muling in the Brisbane gardens, or the mansion of the Royal Bank, Gladstone Road, South Brisbane, and even the German Hotel at Woolloongabba, will be able to form an idea as to its lofty and elegant forms.”
However despite winning the lottery, Gustav was apparently nearly bankrupted by the cost of building the large ornate hotel. One local historian says Gustav’s finances were so tight that he was forced to wear a shop-bought suit to the opening. It was only that his friend and successful local businessman, Charlie Behrendorff agreed to lend him money, that Gustav was able to finish the southern weatherboard wall of his hotel in Crows Ash weatherboards.
Gustav Simon died on April 11, 1905.

The original Simon’s Tavern burned down and was replaced by the current building in the 1970s.

1910

THE Royal Hotel at Kalbar dates back to 1900 but has recently undergone significant renovations which have brought it into the 21st century.

The original pub featured about 15 small single rooms which used to house men working in the area on potato farms.




HARRISVILLE’S first Royal Hotel was built 134 years ago, but this original building burned down in the late 1900s. A local house was shipped in to replace it and was opened as a hotel. But half of that building later burned down and had to be rebuilt and still stands today, welcoming tourists and locals with a cold beer.
The first publicans were the Dunns and Jackwitz, who was also the local blacksmith.   The pub serviced the local cotton and beef industries and was one of three pubs in this small but busy town.




The first Catholic church opened in Boonah on 1st November 1887, the Feast of All Saints, which title the church adopted. All Saints Church was set back a little from High Street in the centre of the infant town. It was the first church in the town area, although the Methodist Church on Dugandan flat had opened on 4th November 1883. The land for All Saints was donated by the Blumberg brothers, who were Latvian Jews and had opened the first business in town.

The Boonah area was served by priests from Beaudesert who rode a circuit of about 100 miles each month to visit the selectors. Frs. J. Enright and T. O' Reilly were the priests who opened the first All Saints Church.  Within the year, at the expense of the Blumberg brothers, the church was moved to another site beside the future Church Street .


On 9th September 1888, a year after Boonah's All Saints opened, the Kalbar (Engelsburg) Catholic community opened their own church, St. Boniface's, on land donated by Franz Surawski, just south of the town. (The Catholic cemetery marks the position.) St. Boniface's was named after an 11th century missionary to Germany.




For much about Boonah and its history:

https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:216975/AU4021_Foxs_History_Queensland_1e.pdf