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German settlers in South Australia: miscellaneous papers 1776-1964

MSS 994.2 G3888


BOX C Folder A

Correspondence, notes and source materials of Derek Van Abbe compiled in the 1950s for a study of early German settlement in South Australia. Includes a copy of his newspaper article (item 20).
Note: Items 38 and 39 are earlier items from Schulz’ own papers and contain biographical material.

‘Germans in Australia (material from Dr. Van Abbe)’ containing:

1. Typed letter to Dr. Van Abbe 16/8/1960 from Pastor T.G. Obst of Freeling, re the history of the organisation of the congregation at Freeling. Incorrectly addressed to A.A. Abbie, Unley Park

2. Ms letter to Dr. Van Abbe 12/2/1960 from E. Lademann of Helmsdale offering German books to Van Abbe. Includes list of titles. (2 p.)
[At the age of 89 Lademann wanted to pass on the books as, although loyal to his adopted country (with 2 boys at two wars), he valued his German past]

3. Letter to E. Lademann from Dr Van Abbe 29/9/1960 accepting the offer of books and reply from E. Lademann 15/7/1960 on same (1 p.)

4. Cutting of newspaper article ‘War and Peace’ by E. Lademann (Adelaide? undated - after 1939)

5. Ms letter from E. Lademann to Doctor Van Abbe 8/6/1960 (3 p.) [= doggerel verse for a granddaughter’s 14th birthday]

6. Ms letter to Prof. [sic] Van Abbe 15/6/1959 from A.H. Pens of Adelaide (2 p.)
Mentions a newspaper cutting that is not included – Van Abbe added note to see files of ‘Murray Pioneer’. Handwritten note by Van Abbe: ‘His grandfather from Prussia about 1859’

7. Typed letter from Johns J. Stolz to Dr Van Abbe 10/7/1959 concerning a seminar planned for 29 July 1959 [= a brief description of his career, including working with Hebart on his history]

8. Ms letter to Dr. Van Abbe 14/7/1959 from S.B. Stolz, together with notes re George Stolz and ‘genealogy’ of Stolz family (teachers of German birth and heritage in the S.A. Education Gazette from approx. 1890 onwards)

9. Cutting of notes on Germans who migrated to the US and Britain (in German, no date, no source); ms letter to Van Abbe from Haenels (no date) listing teachers of German birth in the S.A. Education Department from about 1890 whom she remembers, and a page of ‘General Information’ about SA Germans, including some German cabinet makers; Programme of Song of Australia Centenary Celebrations with list of official guests of Committee (5 p.)

10. Typed letter18/9/1959 to Dr. Van Abbe from Phyllis Mander Jones (Library Liaison Officer for Mitchell Library in London) reporting on relevant British Museum holdings
See also items 30, 47

11. Ms notes on C.W.L. Mücke, the history of Germans in SA – when the German language was examined and taught. Includes mention of Eitel (1 p.) By Van Abbe?

12. Typed letter to Dr. Van Abbe from Leslie Bodi of Newcastle University College (NSW) 3/4/1960 about Püttmann and others

13. Letter to Dr. Van Abbe from Carl A. Dohler of Nuriootpa 15/5 [no year] about German names in Anlaby Cemetery and other information

14. Ms letter to Dr. Van Abbe 26/4/1960 from Elizabeth A. Hoffmann of Charleston SA asking questions about SA German history

15. MS letter to Dr Van Abbe 17/4/1959 from Benno H. Graw (4 p.)
Ms memories of family. Graw’s mother said Henri Ahrens, who worked for Light, was the first German in S.A.

16. Page from Sunday Mail 4/4/1959 on pioneers in Renmark in the 1890s

17. Letter to Dr Van Abbe 14/11/1958 from Miss D. Ellis about Buchsfelde. She comments on different pronunciation of German, High and Low, among settlers, and about houses (4 p.)
Buchsfelde has a Schomburgk connection

18. Typed letter to Dr Van Abbe 21/10/1958 from H. Homburg re a Van Abbe talk on radio about SA settlement and Germans (on Homburg law firm notepaper. Criticises ‘assimilation’. This letter and others of Homburg’s in this file slatingly criticise treatment of German Australians – eg in 1939)

19. Booklet: ‘At home with wine, with the compliments of the House of Seppelt’

20. Newspaper cutting: ‘History of the Germans in S.A.’ by Dr Derek Van Abbe (from Advertiser 24/3/1956)

21. Ms letter to Dr Van Abbe 4/7/1959 from A.H. Pens about Renmark and the Pens family history in Morgan etc (3 p.)

22. Notes in German: information re Johann Dallwitz and his family – includes dates and names of parents (1 p.)

23. Ms notes on Germans in Adelaide. (1 small leaf)

24. Photograph by Duryea of South Australian [male] pioneers arranged as grapes in a bunch, 1836. Includes names.

25. MS letter to Dr Van Abbe 23/8/1960 from Roy Noltenius re family history (2 p.)
Dates misprinted ‘1938’ and ‘1939’ for ‘1838 and ‘1839’

26. MS letter to Dr Van Abbe 25/10/1957 from O.E. Thiele of Saddleworth inviting Van Abbe to stay with them

27. Ms notes ‘Ein Beitrag zur Frage der Lutheranerverfolgung in Preussen’ (1 p.)
Pencilled note added: ‘Seen not used L.A.T.’ [ie Triebel]

28. ‘The life of Richard Wagner’ from Ernest Newman (1 p. typescript)
[= excerpts from the book] With a note about Römpler who died in Melbourne in 1892. Wagner connection in Australia. A reference to ‘Volksblätter’ publication. Initialed by Brian Coghlan

29. Circular letter from Joh. J. Stolz 29/7/1958 (his thanks for greetings on his 80th birthday on 17 May)

30. Letters to Dr Van Abbe 18/7/1957 and 29/7/1957 from Phyllis Mander Jones [Mitchell Librarian], and letter from Mander Jones 29/7/1957, plus a list of German records 1875-1939 re Australian migration held at Whaddon Hall, Berkshire, England. Also page of German Ministry of Foreign Affairs list of microfilm records about Australian migration (4 p.)
See also items 10, 47

31. Letter to Dr Van Abbe from Hugo Ahrens 20/10/1958 in response to a radio broadcast of Van Abbe’s which asked for information. Concerns bells in Blyth – that the King? Emperor of Prussia promised bells to a forebear called Hartwig (2 p.)

32. Mary's Own Paper (i.e. Mary Martin's newsletter) May 1958 with 1 p. article on early German migrants [anonymous] (6 sheets)

33. Nuriootpa and District Diary Monthly News Bulletin of the Nuriootpa War Memorial Community … no.6 (April 1956) 4 p.
Page 2 has a small story on Van Abbe, calling for records and articles related to the historical development of the Barossa

34. Leaflet on Seppeltsfield: ‘Pleased to see you at Seppeltsfield, South Australia’

35. Booklet: ‘The House of Seppelt’ (3 copies)
Includes information on the Seppelt family and the wines

36. Envelope and Christmas/New Year card addressed to A. Menz i.P.[sic] Esqr, Wakefield Street, Adelaide, postmarked Dec. 27 1897 from C & M Mücke

37. Letter (with envelope) to Prof. D. Van Abbe 18/6/1957 from Werner Rehder and Frau Erika in Hamburg. In German (2 p.) [Their son had died in a car accident near Adelaide]

38. Ms letter to Dr Schulz 6/5/1921 from H. Schulthess in Zurich. In German (1 leaf)
(Schulz’ did his doctorate in Zurich)

39. Ms letter addressed to Herr Professor 2/5/1906 from A.J. Schulz. In German
(Possibly a copy of a letter Schulz sent to Zurich when he was going there to do his doctorate)

40. 6 p. ms letter in 2 separate parts 26/8/1909? to ? from Frau Rufulin(?) In German script.

41. Typed letter to Dr Van Abbe 26/5/1956 from 0. Nichterlein of Glen Osmond re visit?

42. Blank page with heading of the S.A. German Historical Society. (2 copies)

43. Postcard from Zurich postmarked 31.XII 10.VIII - to A. Menz & Familie aus Adelaide from Oestermanns(?) (to the Menz family in Minden, Westphalia)

44. Postcard from Minden postmarked 8/11/06 to the ‘Geschwister Menz’ in Norwood - ‘Tante Anna’ In German

45. Letter dated 15th Jan or June 1906 to ‘Dear Arriet’ signed by 'Arry, about an S.A. coast sea trip he’d taken

46. Typed letter to Dr Van Abbe 22/7/1957 from J.A. Aird of Salisbury, about his mother and family who were Moravians (Aird was Commissioner of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission)

47. MS letter to Dr Van Abbe 1/11/1956 from Phyllis Mander Jones, writing from the Mitchell Library offering to find things for Van Abbe when she is in the U.K. See also items 10, 30

48. Letter to Dr Van Abbe dated 3rd Jan (no year) from Alan B. Horsnell about dialects, in answer to a request for comment by Van Abbe in one of his radio broadcasts

49. Wine and Spirit News v.67 no.9 (Special Wine Week issue, Sept 20, 1956) containing article on p. 29 by Ludbrook on ‘Valley of Barossa’ (2 p.)

50. Letter to Dr Van Abbe 13/6/1956 from Martin Kriewaldt in Judges’ Chambers, Darwin re Dr A.J. Schulz deceased, giving Van Abbe permission to consult Schulz papers and library currently with Schulz’ co-executor, Mr M.N. Playford, solicitor

51. Letter to Dr Van Abbe 30/7/1956 from E.R. Mickan in Stockwell – sent Van Abbe a souvenir [= booklet on Stockwell?]

52. Letter to Dr Van Abbe 9/6/1956 from Donald Wallace requesting he write an article for Wine and Spirits News

53. Letter to Dr Van Abbe 3/2/1956 from C.D. Matthews of the ‘Agricultural College of S.A.’ re early Barossa grape varieties

54. Notes re Hamdorf family (at top ‘Mr Hamdorf Chem. Eng.’ with University of Adelaide heading)
(1 p.)
Hamdorf says neither the German language nor German agricultural implements lasted long among Germans in S.A.

55. Letter to Dr Van Abbe 26/4/1956 from H. Homburg about finding information [‘1939 is still the barrier’ - people afraid]

56. Letter to Dr Van Abbe 28/3/1956 from Dr Werner Honsch of Unley about Van Abbe’s article in the Advertiser questioning his assumption that Klemzig (now Poland) was historically Slav territory

57. Ms letter to Dr Van Abbe 27/3/1956 from H. Sasse (1 leaf) re his letter to the Advertiser about Wends

58. Letter to Dr Van Abbe 18/4/1956 from Dr Clifford Jungfer, about saving old German documents and Van Abbe on radio

59. Typed letter to Dr Van Abbe 11/4/1956 from C.D. Matthews, trying to trace vine plants brought to SA. On Roseworthy notepaper

60. ‘Index to exhibits’ (typescript, Roneo copy 4 p.) Descriptive list of documents in a parcel marked ‘Important papers’. Incomplete

61. Letter 6/12/1955 (no addressee named - Dr Van Abbe) from Lizette? Re Kohlhagen family settling in Lobethal, and later in Victoria and NSW

62. Typed letter to Dr Van Abbe 9/12/1955 from Charles A. Armbruster replying that he doesn’t know about his forefathers

63. Typed letter to Dr Van Abbe 18/2/1956 from H. Homburg commenting on the difficulty of researching history of Germans in SA following the death of Schulz and after WW II.

64. Ms notes – names and addresses (1 p.)

University Library
Address

Barr Smith Library
South Australia 5005
Australia

Contact

Phone: +61 8 8313 5224
special.collections@adelaide.edu.au