I have had and seen a few emails that once again claiming religion as the reason for the German migration in the 19th century. I can prove that this is a fallacy that has grown up in our society. Religion had little or even nothing to do with their migration. The reasons are entirely social and economic. I am totally convinced of this. The revolts of 1848, Prussian growth as a power in Germany, depression in Germany, the potato rot and crop failures plus the opportunities offered by the agents going there to recruit were all factors but religion was not one of them. There were two ships came to South Australia in 1839 and another in 1842 carrying migrants leaving Silesia, a German state. They came for religious reason. After that the church was active in assisting and organising migrant ships from the same area but the reasons they came were not religious. Mostly they came because of family letters encouraging them and because family here paid their fares. I am aware that history has recorded that religion played a large role but that history has been based on the South Australian experience. I know that many Lutheran descendants of the South Australians will fire up on this statement but the evidence stacks up against them at every move. I believe that I have now proven that the German migration to South Australia was far smaller than to either Queensland or New South Wales. The number to South Australia comes a distant fourth in size. There has been claimed from time to time that a group settled at Bethania in Queensland and came for religious reason but when one pursues it one finds that the theory is grossly flawed. Albert Grulke

Albert my great great grandfather came to South Australia in 1846 on the George Washington. I haven't been able to find anything that related to his religion. He settled at Auburn in the State's lower north as a shoemaker and married a woman from Cornwall (I think). I get the feeling that he came he for economic reasons - certainly the date makes me think it had to do with the socio-political climate at the time, though I don't know exactly where he came from in Germany only that he was ex Bremen. Liz ----- Original Message ----- From: "Albert Grulke" <grulke@bigpond.com.au> To: <AUS-GERMAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, February 11, 2005 2:44 PM Subject: [AUS-GERMAN] reasons for migration >I have had and seen a few emails that once again claiming religion as the > reason for the German migration in the 19th century. > > I can prove that this is a fallacy that has grown up in our society. > Religion had little or even nothing to do with their migration. The > reasons > are entirely social and economic. I am totally convinced of this. The > revolts of 1848, Prussian growth as a power in Germany, depression in > Germany, the potato rot and crop failures plus the opportunities offered > by > the agents going there to recruit were all factors but religion was not > one > of them. > > There were two ships came to South Australia in 1839 and another in 1842 > carrying migrants leaving Silesia, a German state. They came for religious > reason. After that the church was active in assisting and organising > migrant > ships from the same area but the reasons they came were not religious. > Mostly they came because of family letters encouraging them and because > family here paid their fares. > > I am aware that history has recorded that religion played a large role but > that history has been based on the South Australian experience. > > I know that many Lutheran descendants of the South Australians will fire > up > on this statement but the evidence stacks up against them at every move. > > I believe that I have now proven that the German migration to South > Australia was far smaller than to either Queensland or New South Wales. > The > number to South Australia comes a distant fourth in size. > > There has been claimed from time to time that a group settled at Bethania > in > Queensland and came for religious reason but when one pursues it one finds > that the theory is grossly flawed. > > Albert Grulke > > > > ==== AUS-GERMAN Mailing List ==== > Remember, to unsubscribe, send an email to > aus-german-l-request@rootsweb.com with unsubscribe in the subject line. > > ============================== > Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. > Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx >

----- Original Message ----- From: "Albert Grulke" <grulke@bigpond.com.au> To: <AUS-GERMAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, February 11, 2005 3:14 PM Subject: [AUS-GERMAN] Germans to NSW Hi All, All this talk about German's in NSW sparked my interest once again. I happen to know that my own ancestor lived in Picton, NSW sometime between January 1860 and April 1863. He was a monumental stonemason and no doubt must have been involved in some stone cutting there. I went to Picton today and visited the local library. The librarian was very helpful, but i did not have enough time to absorb much information. (The visit was a little rushed.) However I found there a folder entitled "Early days of Picton" by J. Steele. I think it was written sometime before 1940. I found a 3 random references to some German's in the area. KLESENDORLFFE or KLENSENDORLFFE - a German publican http://www.acenet.com.au/~marlane/tahmoorhousesa_nsw.htm From other sources, I believe Klensendorlffe arrived "free" per the Ship "Ocean" in 1818. He had served in the British Navy. He was a publican at Picton from 1824. He also later owned "Elizabeth Farm" in Queanbeyan under what is now Lake Burley Griffin. RUMKER, Christian Charles Louis - a German astronomer, from "Stargard, Pommerania" who, having been brought out by Sir Thomas Brisbane in 1822 was given a 1000 acre land grant by Governor Macquarie in that same year. The article also mentions that Governor Macquarie was an enthusiastic astronomer himself. Rumker went back to Hamburg later on. ca. 1829 http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/1524.html There is a street in Picton named after him. IHLE, Andrew - a vinedresser from Wuertemburg who married in Picton in 1859, aged 23. This was from the Marriage index in available in the Picton Information centre (the old Post Office building). (NOTE ; A person of this same name died in 1868 up in Ipswich QLD. Same person ??) http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/AUS-QLD-SE-Germans/1998-12/0915170783 ------------------------------------- I also found out that the Royal Arms Hotel ((earlier mentioned on this list by Sharon in San Diego, CA, USA) ), no longer exists, but was on the site where the L.J. Hooker real estate agent's office now stands. --------------------------- regards, Niall this brief research was done on only 2 hours sleep..........!!

Good evening Listers, I am posting my German ancestors to Australia; if anyone recognises these names, I would be delighted to hear from them, I have some information on them and would be willing to share. Regards, Jill Jackson.