Identifying early Illawarra pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s

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1 Identifying early Illawarra pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s A Research Project Research by Zofia Laba This research project was made possible through the Royal Australian Historical Society, Historical Research and Local Archive Projects NSW Heritage Grants Program, Department of Planning Heritage Branch FINAL DRAFT PO Box 1589 South Coast Mail Centre NSW 2521 mhp@1earth.net

2 Forward The is a not-for-profit, volunteer organisation formed in The goals of the (MHP) are to preserve, define, record, protect and promote migration heritage in Wollongong and Illawarra. The work conducted by the MHP is through the volunteers who form the committee with funding provided through successful grant applications. The work completed by the MHP over the last 10 years has sought to fill a void in the history of the Illawarra region, often overlooked by mainstream historians and museums, despite the significant contributions of the many migrants who have settled in the region. The impetus for this publication came from research into an early Polish pioneer by a member of the MHP committee, Zofia Laba. In the course of her research, Ms Laba found a large number of non-british migrants who had settled in the Illawarra region in the 1800s and had been largely overlooked in the documentation of the early white history of the region. Most often, migration to the Illawarra region is associated with post World War II arrivals. The research by Zofia Laba provides a study of some of those early migrants dispelling the popular view that migration to the Illawarra only occurred from the 1950s onward. Zofia Laba was born in Krakov in 1958 growing up in post-world War II Poland. Graduating from University with a Masters degree in history, she worked as a telecommunications technician in Krakow. She came to Australia with her husband in 1988 under the family reunion and skills program. In Australia Zofia completed an Associate Diploma of Arts (Library Practice) and has been employed for 18 years with TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute in various administrative, course information services and library technician roles. Zofia's enthusiastic approach into the research of the early pioneers of the Illawarra from diverse backgrounds is infectious, if sometimes difficult to contain. Given her university degree, interest and passion for the subject she was the MHP's perfect choice to conduct this research. Zofia has not only voluntarily dedicated many hours to producing this document, the stories she has uncovered have made her a much sought after speaker at many local, city and regional historical societies and events. The research was undertaken with the support of the Royal Australian Historical Society, Historical Research and Local Archive Projects NSW Heritage Grants Program, Department of Planning Heritage Branch. The research has provided a desktop review, using primary sources. Whilst the MHP has endeavoured to represent a large diversity of nationalities, time has been a limiting factor. It is hoped that this research will continue, if ongoing financial support can be secured. It is also hoped that this document will ignite further interest in the conduct of research in this area to help all members of the Illawarra community have a greater sense of our shared histories. Franca Facci Chairperson 31 May 2012 Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 1

3 Table of Contents Forward... 1 Table of Contents... 2 Executive Summary... 3 Acknowledgements... 7 Profiles Jean Auguste Guion... 8 Joseph Marceau Ira Polley Petrus Bernardus de Jonghe Ignacy Zlotkowski Conrad Heininger Sigfrid Flodin John Radecki George John (Jack) Nees Joe Wah Gow Chinese Labourers and Farmers Chinese Market Gardens Ala Mahomed Antonio Porratta Assaf (George) Badran Evelthon Nicola Imisides Census Tables New South Wales Census , Sydney or Middle District New South Wales Census New South Wales Census Census of New South Wales, Nationality of the People Census of New South Wales, Nationality Census of New South Wales, Birthplaces Census of New South Wales, Birthplaces Census of the Commonwealth of Australia 1921, State of New South Wales - Birthplaces Census of Commonwealth of Australia, Places of Historical and Geographical Significance Index Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 2

4 Executive Summary The aim of this research was to investigate the history of non-british migrants who lived in the Illawarra from the 1840s to the early 1940s. The research was based on original material, information from descendents and articles from local newspapers and newspapers from New South Wales. A joint research project into the history of early Polish migrants of the Illawarra by Zofia Laba and Barbara Mazur raised awareness of the significant number of non-british migrants to the area that had occurred from the 1850s. The Polish subjects of the joint research project not only lived in the area from the early 1850s, but had contributed their skill, artistry, intellect and social conscious to the town of Wollongong. Yet their social, economical and cultural contributions have largely been forgotten and have gone with little acknowledgement. The initial presentation featuring the early Polish migrants grew with more photographs, documents and stories of other early non-british migrants as more research was undertaken by Zofia Laba and presented to members of the, Illawarra Historical Society, Albion Park Library, Wollongong Family History Group and the general public. Each presentation raised a number of questions and inspired discussion that resulted in more information coming to light about early migrants. Very often the well known names of the region were not being linked to the origin of the person. These presentations also helped to dispel a common perception that the non-british migrants only began to arrive in the Illawarra after World War II. This perception quite likely exists because a lot more is known about post World War II migration. The information and documentation obtained during this research should help to fill some of the gaps for future historical publications. The researcher's inspiration for 'Identifying early Illawarra pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s' was drawn from an article written by Ignacy Zlotkowski in March 1856 that was published in The Illawarra Mercury. Zlotkowski described the difficulties of newly arrived early non-british migrants; lack of English language skills, lack of money to buy food for the family during the journey by boat from Sydney to Wollongong and a lack of anyone waiting for them at Wollongong Harbour who could help them find a way to their new home. Ignacy Zlotkowski in his article wrote: To the Editor of the Illawarra Mercury Sir Since my sojourn in this favourite spot, Australian Brighton, Captain Sullivan often used to send me German, French, and Italian servants who were unable to speak the English language. I tried my best to explain their wants, and to get them to their destination. I have been even once the arbitrator between a gentleman near this and an Italian, and many miles I walked to set their disputes in buono ordine. I do not grudge, Mr. Editor, the trifling services I rendered to the creatures that were unable to explain themselves in English in a foreign land. I did it with pleasure; but to prevent ill feeling between master and servant, I think that every farmer that hires a foreign servant ought to provide him with food whilst onboard, and a cart ought to be ready for him, to take him and his luggage to his new home. Yesterday a German tried, a most excruciating effort, to make himself understood, but in vain, in the following style: - Me Germin; mariaged man; hafe a big trunk, small wifer, and two leetle childers, all very much cold, wet, and hungry; me go to Tom-my-son, the push Ta-too. Makin listened to him with the greatest attention imaginable. The poor fellow might have TA-tooed till next Christmas had I not been there, and found out that he was hired by Mr. Thomson, Dapto. Ignacy Zlotkowski. Wollongong, March 7, 1856 Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 3

5 The research has identified many aspects of early migration from non-british countries: such as statistics by nationality or country of birth, the areas where they lived, their involvement in the development of the Illawarra as teachers, aldermen of Shellharbour Municipal Council, farmers, winemakers, hoteliers, artist, engineers, miners, builders, coach makers, shopkeepers, cafe and restaurant and business owners, market gardeners, fishermen, dressmakers, drivers or business entrepreneurs. Record of non-british migrants living in the Illawarra by country of birth or nationality: Censuses of Commonwealth of Censuses of NSW Country Australia Africa Austria 4 1 Belgium 2 5 Canada China Denmark and Possessions Finland 12 France and Possessions Germany Greece Holland and Possessions 1 Italy Island of South Pacific 2 Japan Malta 7 Norway Poland 6 Polynesia and Malaysia Portugal and Possessions 4 1 Russia Spain and Possessions 1 Sweden 29 Sweden and Norway Switzerland Syria 6 27 Turkey and Possessions 2 13 USA Yugoslavia 5 Other countries Total The table above provides statistical data from which it can be determined that from the 1850s to the early 1900s German born migrants were the largest group of non-british migrants living in the Illawarra. The economic and social situation in Germany during this time, such as the cost of living, compulsory military service, persecution for those who took part in the failed social revolution of 1848 and farm owners forced to work for a wage as labourers, were some of the reasons that many were leaving the country of their birth to migrate to America or Australia. In the 1850s German migrants such as Theodore Bode and the Ziems brothers came to the Illawarra from the rich goldfields of Ballarat and Bendigo. Charles Ziems and Theodore Bode each became Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 4

6 hotel owners in the Illawarra. Others went on to became successful in other areas such as Conrad Heininger who was a farmer, Carl Weber a surveyor and the Mood (Muth) brothers who were coach makers, blacksmiths and builders. Between 1856 and 1891, the NSW Census recorded the largest number of German migrants in the Illawarra occurred in 1861, a total of 127 that included 63 men and 64 women. The first issue of a German periodical published in Melbourne drew the attention of The Illawarra Mercury: New Periodical - We have this week received from Melbourne the first number of a German journal entitled Der Kosmopolite Deutsche Zeitung fur Australien. Our townsman, Sre. Ignacy Zlotkowski, kindly perused it for us, and has spoken very highly of it as a literary production. It is really surprising, and most praiseworthy, to see a handful of Germans trying to introduce their literature into the wilderness of Australia; and we can fancy with what eagerness the German patriot will read, under his hut or bark roof, away from civilised society, a newspaper in his own native tongue, like the one before us. We hope the day is not far distant when even la jeunerse d Australie will study, and be able to read, that classical language, the German. Der Kosmopolite we heartily wish you every success. Illawarra Mercury The Chinese was another community very prevalent through early settlement who, from the 1850s, worked on farms as labourers and later working their own farms or as a market gardeners spread from Bulli to Kiama. Many of them worked for a few years, made some money and went back to China. They were always replaced by new Chinese migrants. They also were very successful merchants and shops owners as well as the owners of a bus company which is still operating in Wollongong today. The Italian migrants were present in the Illawarra in late 1800s but they more prevalent in the 1920s. By this time their involvement in the fishing industry was well known to the people of the Illawarra. They soon opened fish shops, fruit shops, cafes and restaurants. In 1926 the number of Italians who worked or wanted to work in the local coal mines drew concern among the Australian mining workforce regarding their job security. The number of Italian migrants had increased from 65 in 1921 to 254 in In August 1927 the following article appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald: South Coast Mines. Influx of Italians. Protest by employees - A great influx of Italian miners to the Illawarra district is causing alarm among miners employed at the various collieries. The matter was dealt with at the miners delegate board meeting, at which it was decided to forward a protest to the Colliery Proprietors Association and Miners Federation against the employment at the South Coast collieries of any further Italians while members of the Federation are seeking employment. The Federation was also instructed to cable a protest to the International Workers Union of Italy By 1921 the majority of Italian migrants were men. In 1933 this changed with 169 men and 85 women. Many Italian fruit and grocery shops were established in the late 1920s and in 1930s as well as Greek cafes, milk bars and fish shops. These types of business grew in number as a result of the increase in migration following World War II. There are a number of business that were owned and run by migrants. Jacob Glas, a Polish Jew owned and ran the Bulli Miners shop. George Badran, who migrated to Wollongong from Lebanon, established a well-known fashion business called Badrans and Jo Wah Gow owned a grocery and drapery shop Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 5

7 There were other migrants who were craftsmen and artists, like Peter Menegazzo who crafted ornate wrought iron such as the Wollongong City Crest that adorned the exterior wall of the Town Hall and Swedish photographer Sigfrid Flodin. Polish born John Radecki, an artist in stained glass, with many of his stained glass windows that can still be found in churches in Wollongong, Thirroul and Austinmer. Many early migrants were involved in the activities of community organisations such as: Wollongong Harbour Improvement Committee, Agricultural Societies (Wollongong, Dapto, Kiama), Friendly Society, Bulli Hospital Board, in the establishment of Hope Park and the establishment of Wollongong and Bulli Brass Bands. Many of them like Ignacy Zlotkowski had a great vision to make the Illawarra a better place. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 6

8 Acknowledgements I would like to say thank you to following people who have helped me with the information about early non-british migrants of the Illawarra: Carol and John Herben, Tamara Hynd, Terry and Wendy Nunan, Neil Dwyer, Paul Heininger, Terry Bugg, Karin Parker, Ray Bush, Timothy Zlotkowski, Rina Mongomery, Debra Lewis, Robyn Florance, Jane Styles, Nick Tambakis, Ron Imisides, Les Dion, Maureen Polley, Rose & Raymond Badran, Marion Lockwood, Pauline Gates, John McKintosh, Natalie Coolican, and the staff at Wollongong Library/Reference section. A very special thank you to Franca Facci, Fidelia Pontarolo, Eva Castle and other members of Illawarra for their encouragement and support during the research. Special thanks to members of the advisory group, in particular Terry Kass, for expert advice and direction. Zofia Laba Committee Member 31 May 2012 Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 7

9 Jean Auguste Guion Born: Bordeaux, France Died: Europe (date unknown) Arrived in Australia: Resident of Keera Vale West Wollongong: Occupation: circa 1840s early 1840s - late 1850s Farmer/Winemaker In the mid 1900s one of the Illawarra s most important events was the Annual Agricultural and Horticultural Show organised by the Illawarra Agricultural and Horticultural Society. The Society was established in The first shows were held in Dapto. Prizes were awarded for the best crops or livestock in the region which encouraged farmers to develop improvements or new methods in stock breeding or new types of crops (1). An article on the 1846 Dapto Annual Show appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald which described the livestock and farm products that were exhibited... The cattle produced for competition were with a few exceptions, first- rate of their respective kinds....the show of butter was also very satisfactory,... The display of fruit and flowers was not large as could have been wished..., the potatoes exhibited were the object of general admiration and wonder. The article also provided a list of the show s winners including Mr Guion who had won first place for his wine (2). Jean Auguste Guion, a French settler, had lived in the Illawarra from the early 1840s. He was a farmer, orchardist and wine producer. His vineyard was at Keera Vale or on the hilly part at the bottom of Mount Keira (3). Jean Guion was the son of Monsieur Arnaud Guion, a magistrate of 45 years in Cestas, near Bordeaux in France (capitol of the French wine industry). From 1842, Arnaud Guion's other son, L. Guion, lived in George Street, Sydney and was a jeweller and watchmaker. The earliest record of Jean Auguste Guion being in the Illawarra is 1844 (4). In 1846 he married a French woman, Elise Jusseaume of Woolloomooloo, in Saint Mary s Cathedral in Sydney (5). During the 1840s there were not many foreigners (people from non-british heritage) living in the Illawarra. Elise could have been one of the first of three foreign women and Jean Auguste could have been one of the eleven foreign men living in the Illawarra in the 1840s (6). His farm and wine making business must have flourished because in 1850 he opened a wine store in Bridge Street, Sydney where he sold his homemade wine as well as imported wine from France. The shop was not short of Old Port, sherries and wine vinegar (7). Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 8

10 He took a part in many annual agricultural and horticultural shows. In the 1851 show he was awarded first place for the best white grapes and wine, and second place for black grapes (8). In the 1854 annual show he entered the competition as an orchardist (9). After 1854, Jean Auguste Guion, his wife Elise and their four children (they would eventually have three more children) moved from the Illawarra and settled on a farm in Canterbury (at the time a district of Penrith). However, in September 1857, he was declared insolvent and his name appeared on the list of Estate and Surrendered, or Placed under Sequestration (10). Sometime during 1862 he left Australia and returned to Europe. On 15 January 1862, prior to his departure, a public auction took place on the farm where he lived at Lockwood, Rope Creek s (Western Sydney). Everything was for sale 'without least reserve': household furniture, all live stock and farm tools, comfortable chaise cart, four horses, one large good spring cart and more (11). It is not clear what happened to Guion after he left Australia and as such his place and date of death are unknown. Note: Keera Vale was where the Bukari Street is located today in West Wollongong. According to the description of a neighbour s property, Guion s property was between West Wollongong and Mt Keira, a more hilly location (3). Photograph: Mt Keira, courtesy of Wollongong City Library, Image Number P04/P04177 from the collections of the Wollongong City Library and the Illawarra Historical Society. Bibliography: News from the Interior (from our correspondents) Illawarra, The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 January Keera Vale Illawarra The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 March 1852, pg Family Notice, The Sydney Morning Herald, 22 August 1844, pg Family Notice, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 December 1846, pg New South Wales Census , Sydney or Middle District. Country Where Born. Abstract Advertising, The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 April 1850 pg News from the Interior (from our correspondents) Illawarra, The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 January The History of Illawarra and its Pioneers, Frank McCaffrey, Printed: John Sands Ltd. Sydney, 1922 pg Estates Surrendered, or placed under Sequestration, from June 30 th to September 30 th 1857, The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 October, 1857 pg Unreserved Sale, in consequence of the owner s departure for Europe, The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 January 1862, pg. 9. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 9

11 Joseph Marceau Born: Died: 24 January 1806, St Jean, L'Acadie, Quebec, Canada 9 June 1883, Dapto Arrived in Australia: 25 February 1840 Resident of Dapto: 1840s Occupation: Farmer In 1837 in Lower Canada (Quebec) a rebellion against British rule was put down by the British troops resulting in 178 patriots taken as prisoners. The punishment for taking part in the rebellion was very harsh: 29 of the prisoners were executed and the remaining 149 prisoners were sentenced and transported to Australia as convicts. The rebels of French Canadian origin were sent to Sydney and rebels of British descendents were sent to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). On 25 February 1840, 58 French Canadian patriots from the province of Lower Canada (Quebec today) arrived in Sydney. Instead of imprisonment they were placed in the abandoned Longbottom Farm (before the 1820 Stockade) located near Concord, Sydney. In 1840 Longbottom Farm became the detention centre for French Canadian patriots. These patriots, mostly rural artisans and farmers ranging in age from 20 to 64, had never before been convicted. They found themselves far away from their loved ones, not by choice but by political force that had sent them to the other side of the world (1). For almost a year they stayed in Longbottom Farm and were put to work building stone roads for the government. One of the roads was Parramatta Road. After a year, they were sent to private employers where they worked in the agricultural and trade fields (2). Between 1843 and 1844 they were granted a pardon. By the late 1840s they all went back to Canada except for two. One man died in Sydney and the second was Joseph Marceau (2). Marceau was a farmer, weaver and was also one of the captains of the Lower Canada patriots. After receiving his pardon he could not afford the journey back to Canada so he delayed it for a year. During this time he not only worked as a cook and servant for a superintendant at Longbottom, on the banks of Parramatta River, but he fell in love with Mary Barrett, an Australian girl from Dapto. Marceau married Mary and they had 11 children together. Before he moved to Dapto, Marceau met Ira Polley and Iram Sharpe in Sydney, two Americans who took part in the Canadian rebellion and had been sentenced and transported as convicts to Van Diemen's Land. When Polley and Sharpe had been granted their freedom, they decided to join Marceau and moved to the Illawarra. Using American axes, all three men cleared the bush and cut Cedar near Mt Kembla (in the area known as American Creek which had been named after them). Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 10

12 In 1850 Marceau received a land grant of 25 acres for 50 pounds. Mary had inherited 97 acres at West Dapto from her father. Mary and Marceau became West Dapto farmers. They often came to Wollongong and sold vegetables and eggs. Marceau earned a reputation as a good and honest man and was known in Wollongong as Honest Joe (3). Joseph died on 9 June 1883 and Mary Marceau (nee Barrett) died on 14 February Both of them were buried at West Dapto Catholic Cemetery. Today, Marceau Street in Mount Saint Thomas, Wollongong and Marceau Drive at Concord near Canada Bay in Sydney, commemorate the only French Canadian exile that did not return to Canada (2). Photograph: Marceau Street, Mt St Thomas with Mt Kembla in the background. Photograph courtesy of Fidelia Pontarolo for the. Bibliography: 1. Gregory Blaxell A slice of Canada in Sydney December2007 AsliceofCanadainSydneybyGregoryBlaxell.htm#.T3hAEauHerg. 2. Tony Moore, Death or Liberty, Rebels and radicals transported to Australia Pier 9 pg. 285, Jodie Duffy Rebels with a cause, Illawarra Mercury, 5 June 2010 pgs. 10, 11. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 11

13 Ira Polley Born: 1816, Danbury Connecticut, USA Died: 1 January 1898, Wollongong Arrived in Australia: 1840 Resident of Berkeley and Wollongong: 1840s Occupation: Farmer Ira Polley was 22 years of age when he left Lyme County, New York, USA and travelled to Lower Canada (now Quebec). He was one of the many American freedom fighters who took part in the Lower Canada Rebellion against British rule. These American freedom fighters wanted to help free the Quebec French Canadians from the British Crown. When the Rebellion was put down by the British troops, Ira Polley, together with other Americans, was captured at Windmill Point in Ontario. In November 1838 he became a political prisoner. Some American prisoners were executed immediately and others were found guilty of insurrection against the British Crown and sentenced to life imprisonment. On 28 September 1839 Ira went from being a political prisoner to Convict Number 1561 who, along with other American and French Canadian rebels, boarded the ship 'Buffalo' and commenced a 160 day voyage to Australia. On arrival in Australia, the French Canadian rebels remained in Sydney, whilst the Americans were sent to Van Diemen s Land (Tasmania). When the ship arrived in Hobart, Ira and the other convicts were sent to Lovely Banks, South of Outlands to work in the rock quarries. There they experienced hard labour and appalling working conditions. Sometime later, Ira was hired out to farmers as paid labour. Ira also had some money which he used to pay for a funeral for a convict colleague. In return he received the man s boots and jacket. In January 1844, after strong international condemnation for keeping political prisoners as convicts, Queen Victoria granted them all a pardon. On 18 December 1844 Ira was issued his ticket of pardon. As a free men, Ira Polley and Iram Sharpe (another American convict) boarded a whaling ship and departed Tasmania for America. When the whaler stopped at Honolulu, Hawaii, Ira and Iram Sharpe had changed their minds and decided to return to Australia. They managed to make their way back to Sydney where they met Joseph Marceau. As Joseph Marceau had married Mary Barrett who came from Dapto in the Illawarra and was moving with her to the Illawarra, Ira and Sharpe joined them and also moved to the region. There is a story about Americans in the 1840s clearing the bush and cutting cedar trees at Mt Kembla and Avondale. The creek that flowed through the property later became known as 'American Creek' as a result of the three Americans: Polley, Sharpe and Marceau who used American axes to cut the trees. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 12

14 Iram Sharpe left the Illawarra and moved to the South Coast. He died in 1859 at Bombala. Ira Polley initially settled in Burelli Street, Wollongong. Later, in the 1860s, he was a farmer on the Jenkins Estate at Berkeley. He married Elizabeth Moon and they had seven children. When Elizabeth died Ira married her half sister Harriet Ralph and had another eight children. Ira Polley died in Wollongong on 1 January 1898 and was buried in the Congregational section of Wollongong s Cemetery. The death notice in the Illawarra Mercury read "The deceased was always a hard working, honest upright man who throughout his long residence in the district enjoyed the esteem of all who knew him. He was 81 and leaves a large grown up family." (1) Photograph: Ira Polley courtesy of Maureen Polley (private collection). Bibliography: 1. Information on Ira Polley based on information supplied by his great granddaughter, Maureen Polley of Wollongong, who acknowledges the assistance of Kerry Alexander, David Freeman and Dr John Carter in her research. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 13

15 Petrus Bernardus de Jonghe known as Pierre D'Jonge or Peter Young Born: 1 September 1812, Bruges, Belgium Died: 22 October 1887, Sydney Arrived in Australia: 1841 Resident of Wollongong: Resident of Kiama: Occupation: Catholic Priest At the beginning of the 1840s the district of Illawarra had quite a well-established Catholic Mission. The Mission's first priest, Father John Rigney, preached at the first wooden Catholic Chapel in Wollongong which was built in 1835 and could accommodate 250 worshippers. In 1838 a school for children was established. About the same time, Mr and Mrs Cray of Dapto donated four acres of land for a new Catholic Church in Dapto, which had a school already operating there. In 1839 the trustees of the Catholic Church purchased two acres of land from Throsby Smith, in what is now Harbour Street Wollongong, to build a larger Church. The following year a ceremony took place to lay the foundation stone for the new Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Wollongong. An estimated 2000 people from not only the Illawarra District, but as far as the Shoalhaven, attended the ceremony (1). In 1841 Jamberoo also had a Catholic school for the children of the 200 Catholics residing in the area with two acres of land allocated for the building of a new church. Expansion of Catholic Churches to other areas of Wollongong would not have been possible without dedicated and motivated priests. One such priest was Father Pierre D'Jonge, a Belgium Benedictine who called himself Peter Young (he signed his name 'Peter Young' after performing a marriage ceremony on 12 September 1846). From 1846 to 1850 he served as the appointed parish priest of Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Wollongong. Peter Young was educated at Turnhout College (Netherlands), Minor Seminary at Roeselare and Major Seminary of Bruges in Belgium. In 1839 he became the first Bishop of Bruges and the following year, as a professor, he taught at Bruges s Menem College. In 1841 he left Belgium and travelled to Liverpool, England where he met John Bede Polding, the first Bishop of Sydney. On 1 November 1843 Peter Young boarded the ship Templar with Bishop Polding and they travelled together to Sydney where he lived for the next three years (2). His appointment as a priest of the Catholic Mission based in Wollongong included duties not only to the parishioners in Wollongong area, but also to parishioners spread throughout the Illawarra district. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 14

16 In December 1849, during Peter Young's Wollongong appointment, Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church was opened. The church, a new Gothic style stone building, is the present Cathedral. He left Wollongong in 1850, but in 1852 Father D Jonge became the first priest for the newly established Catholic Mission of Kiama-Jamberoo-Shellharbour-Ulladulla. He had never ridden a horse so he would walk everywhere, even as far as Ulladulla which was an 89 mile journey on foot. On the way he would stop regularly and celebrate Mass at parishioner s houses (1). As the roads were quite rough, the journey was not an easy one and he depended on people s charity for food and shelter. On 3 April 1858 Saint Peter s Catholic Church in Kiama was opened. The Illawarra Mercury published an article on 12 April 1858 about the opening of the church 'On last Wednesday the rev. gentleman, assisted by a few of the fair sex ever ready to help in a good cause, provide cakes and tea for between one and two hundred people. The cakes were plentiful and good, and the tea well flavoured. After the repast Father Young gave an appropriate address in which he enforced the advantage of sobriety of mind. The proceeds of the tea goes to defray the handsome fence. Great praise is due to Father Young for the exemplary zeal and assiduity he has shown in getting the moneys needed to bring this neat chapel to the present state of completion'. He was not only a good priest but an exceptional organiser. According to the The South Coast Herald of 30 March 1906, in 1861 Father Young contributed to the opening of the third church built in the Illawarra Mission, the Stella Maris Catholic Church in Shellharbour....The church at Shellharbour was one of the oldest on the South Coast having been erected 45 years ago by Father Young... Father Young left the Illawarra for Liverpool in Even after 45 years, people have remembered his efforts toward the completion of the new Shellharbour Church. The church was opened by Father Michael Flanagan (3). In 1867 Father Young left Australia travelling to Rome and Belgium but he came back to Sydney in 1868 where he was appointed as the parish priest of Saint Patrick s Church in the Rocks, Sydney and remained there until The last 10 years of his life were spent at the Episcopal Palace in Sydney. Father Peter Young was one of the true pioneers of Wollongong. He died in Sydney on 22 March Throughout the years many immigrants of the Catholic faith from non-british heritage left their mark on Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral. In 1858, Ignacy Zlotkowski an immigrant from Poland, helped raise funds for a new Presbytery building near the Cathedral (4). In 1962 the Hungarian Society of Wollongong donated a stained glass window commemorating The Hungarian Freedom Fight of In 1964, the Polish Community of Wollongong donated a stained glass window commemorating the Millennium of Christianity in Poland. The gift was given to Bishop McCabe in gratitude for all the help the Polish Community had received. Ukrainian post World War II Catholic Refugees donated a memorial plaque to acknowledge Ukrainian Catholic Refugees' gratitude for the help and hospitality from the local clergy and parishioners for the use of the Cathedral between The little side Cathedral Chapel is dedicated to the Italian community. Peter Menegazzo, an Italian craftsman, made a beautiful iron cross to complement the external architecture of the building. All these donations are symbols of gratitude to the clergy of Saint Francis Xavier s Cathedral for their help. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 15

17 Notes: 1. In May 1855, Father Young was naturalised. 2. In 1951 Saint Francis Xavier Church became the Cathedral for the new Wollongong Catholic Diocese. Photograph: Petrus Bernardus de Jonghe (Father Peter Young), courtesy of Neil Dwyer, Archivist, Lumen Christi, Catholic Parishes Wollongong. Bibliography: 1. Fahery, Fr. PJ and O Keefe, Fr. MA, The Catholic Church in the Illawarra 150 years , 1989, South Coast Printers, Wollongong, pgs: 25, 45, 47, Neil Dwyer, Archivist, Saint Francis Xavier s Cathedral, Wollongong By what name shall we know him? Father Petrus Bernardus de Jonghe, Father Pierre D Jonge or Father Peter Young: Pioneering Priest of the Illawarra. 3. Illawarra Mercury, 20 August 2011, pg. 12 Still standing. 4. Illawarra Mercury, 22 April 1858 Concert Hall. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 16

18 Ignacy Zlotkowski Born: Died: 1817 Warsaw, Poland 1886 Five Dock, Sydney Arrived in Australia: 5 March 1853 Resident of Wollongong: Occupation: s Professor (Languages: English, French, Italian, Latin, German) Zlotkowski Heights may be remembered by some of the older citizens of Wollongong its currency is lost amongst many. Zlotkowski Heights (near the bottom of Mt Keira) was named as such because the owner of the property was Ignacy Zlotkowski who had lived there for few years and owned the property for over 30 years. His vision and contribution for a greater Wollongong marks him as the first Polish pioneer of the region who, for 20 years, called Wollongong home. A professor of modern languages, Ignacy Zlotkowski was born in 1817 in Warsaw, Poland, into a family of Polish nobility. In 1841 he escaped from Poland 1 to France, and then to Scotland as a political refugee using his French passport, where he taught languages at Aberdeen University 2, Kings College (1). After leaving Scotland in 1852, Zlotkowski arrived in Australia on board the Banshee on 5 March 1853 as one of a few paying passengers. He brought with him recommendation letters from England and Scotland which contributed to his Australian naturalisation in just few days after on his arrival on 17 March 1853 (2). Arriving in Wollongong The precise date of his arrival in Wollongong is unknown, but in June 1854 he became an owner of a block of land and its building located at Harbour Street, Wollongong 3 (3). In the early 1850s the building was used as a Medical Centre, then as a concert hall which Zlotkowski would occasionally allow to be used free of charge for charity functions (4). In December 1858 the building became the premises for the Smith and Sons Dancing Academy (5). In the late 1870s, the building stood empty for several years until it was demolished in the 1880s. It was sold by Zlotkowski s family to the Sisters of Good Samaritan in 1897 (3). Zlotkowski and his family Ignacy Zlotkowski married Jane Haigh of Market Square 4 in Wollongong s Presbyterian Church on 18 September 1855 (6). They had four sons and two daughters. The Zlotkowski family lived in Wollongong for nearly 20 years. During this time, they lived in Jane s family home in Market Square, and then moved to their farm house in Montenegro 5 (Black Mountain) (7) near Mt Keira, later known as Zlotkowski Heights. In the 1860s the family moved to Bayalla Cottage, in Smith Street, Wollongong, living there until the early 1870s (8). 1 From Poland didn t exist as an independent country, it was ruled by Russia, Prussia and Austria. 2 Zlotkowski was well educated and fluent in Latin, French, English, Italian and German. 3 Currently St Mary Star of the Sea Chapel is located on this site. 4 Jane Haigh was born in Halifax, Yorkshire England in She arrived in Australia in 1845 with her father Joseph Haigh (a wool merchant), her brother and two sisters. 5 Black Mountain - an area near Mt Keira, Wollongong. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 17

19 Contribution to education Ignacy and Jane were both involved in teaching. Jane Haigh, who was known in Wollongong as Madame Zlotkowski, owned and ran a private secondary school for boys, which was located in Market Square (9). In the 1860s and 1870s Zlotkowski travelled to Sydney to teach French, German and Italian in a private school located in the University of Sydney Hall (10). His children attended the Wollongong National School 6 and Zlotkowski himself was involved in the school s life. He was not only involved in organising a testimonial for the, then, school s teacher 7 but he was also chairman of the ceremony, which was attended by many prominent citizens of the town like Charles Throsby Smith, John Stewart and George Hewlett. After the ceremony, an Illawarra Mercury journalist wrote Mr. Zlotkowski proved himself as a fine fellow in the matter; he had come out in the right manner and in the right time and he trusted that they would find him working in future occasion (11). Multilingual interpreter/translator Zlotkowski was Wollongong s first multilingual interpreter and translator. On 7 April 1856, the Illawarra Mercury published 'A Noble Act', French literature translated into English by Zlotkowski. The editors of the Illawarra Mercury valued his opinion about the new German Periodical (published in German) which was subscribed by the handful of Germans living at that time in Wollongong (12). His multilingual skills and proximity to Wollongong Harbour were used to help to communicate with French, Italian and German migrants who were arriving by steamers from Sydney, usually to work as servants on the farms. He was not only an interpreter and arbitrator (walking to Kiama when needed) but an advocate for their rights. In his own article to the Editor of The Illawarra Mercury he wrote: '. I think that every farmer that hires a foreign servant ought to provide him with food whilst on board, and a cart ought to be ready for him, to take him and his luggage to his new home ' (13). In 1863 his knowledge of French was also used by the Wollongong s Mayor, Dr Lambert. On one occasion Zlotkowski was used as an interpreter at a meeting that took place at Mt Keira Mine, when Dr Lambert tried to convince a French steamer commander that the coal from the Keira and Bulli Mines was of good quality and could by imported to France (14). Popular and influential citizen of Wollongong Given his involvement in local issues, it is not surprising that Zlotkowski s name came up during a nomination meeting for the Alderman of Wollongong Municipal Council. The meeting took place on 17 February 1864 at the Wollongong Court House. Zlotkowski stated before the voting started that he never had political ambitions. Regardless, voting was in his favor and he was elected. Why was this Polish man so popular, why did he had so much trust and respect? In May 1864, the town entrusted him, as one of three representatives to go to Sydney with a petition to the NSW Minister of Public Works, regarding the poor quality of work carried out in Wollongong Harbour (16) and then a second time in September 1864 when the town was lobbying for a railway track from Bulli to Wollongong. The track could be used to transport more coal from local mines, creating jobs in the Illawarra (17). Zlotkowski was also involved in other areas of public life. He was a very active member of the Wollongong Harbour Improvement Committee (18), a member of the Illawarra Improvement 6 Wollongong National School was located on the corner of Crown and Kembla Streets. Currently Wollongong Town Hall is situated on that site. 7 Jabez Clarke was the Wollongong National School s teacher, who in 1862 left the district after 11 years of teaching. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 18

20 Society (19), an honorary treasurer of the Wollongong Agricultural Society (20) and a chairman of public meetings on many occasions, particularly election meetings (21). Zlotkowski Heights Ignacy is remembered as the owner of Zlotkowski Heights, the area between Mt Keira Road, Robsons Street and Keira Mine Road which he and his wife owned from 1856 to 1887 (22). This was farming land, well cleared, with a dairy cottage on it and beautiful views of Wollongong and the ocean. In 1858 St Michael s Anglican Church, located on Corrimal Street was demolished and rebuilt on its current site on Market Street using its original stones 8. The expansion of the church required additional stones which were brought from Zlotkowski Heights Zlotkowski s family left Wollongong in the early 1870s and moved to Marrickville, Sydney where he taught languages in a private school at the University of Sydney Hall and at the Sydney Mechanic School of Arts ( Sydney Mechanic School of Arts, SMH, 5 February 1873). He died on 3 February 1886 at Five Dock, Sydney and was buried at the Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney. Once a respectable and active citizen of Wollongong, he became the forgotten first Polish pioneer of this town. After Ignacy Zlotkowski s death in 1886, the land was divided with new streets created and named after Wollongong aldermen: Parsons, Cochrane, Poulter and Armstrong. An auction took place on 2 November 1887 with live music, free drinks and free transport from the outskirts of Wollongong. Most of the blocks were sold on that day including the 24 acre block known as Gallagher s Farm (23). In the 1900s, many miners cottages were built in the newly subdivided area as it was close to Mt. Keira Mine. Even in the 1950s, the area was still referred to as Zlotkowski s Heights, Zlotkowski s Hill 9 or just Zlotkowski. Unfortunately none of the created streets were named after him. Written by Zofia Laba Research by Barbara Mazur and Zofia Laba Zofia Laba and Barbara Mazur acknowledge the assistance received whilst researching this subject from: Timothy Zlotkowski, Jane Styles (descendents of Ignacy and Jane Zlotkowski), Terry Bugg, Karen Parker, Ray Bush and Bill Dargan (members of Illawarra Family History Group) and Carol Herben (member of Illawarra Historical Society). Photograph: Ignacy Zlotkowski, courtesy of Timothy Zlotkowski, great grandson of Ignacy Zlotkowski (private collection). Bibliography: 1. Police, De La Prefect de. Permis de Sejour (Copy of a French pasport), Paris, France : s.n., March 26, Shipping Intelligence, Arrivals. Sydney Morning Herald. 5 March, Office, Land Title. Zlotkowski, Ignacy. Vendor's Index (pre-torrens) ,. Part B. Refer: Book 605, No 370, Deed Type C. Queen's Square, Sydney : s.n. 4. Concert Hall. Illawarra Mercury. 22 April Notice. Illawarra Mercury. 2 Dec Church, Presbytrian. Declaration (copy of a marriage certificate). Wollongong : s.n., 15 September Births. Sydney Morning Herald. 23 March Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 19

21 8. Zlotkowski, Ignacy. Original Correspondence - Kerosene. Illawarra Express. 6 May Pioneer, By an Old. Reminiscences of Illawarra, Series XIX. Early Education in Illawarra. Illawarra Mercury. 22 February Advertising, Educational. Sydney Morning Herald. 26 August 1865, 9 January 1867, 1 February 1868, 16 January 1869, 23 July Presentation of a Testimonial to Mr. Jabez J. Clarke. Illawarra Mercury. 23 December New Periodical. Illawarra Mercury Zlotkowski, Ignacy. To the Editor of the Illawarra Mercury. Illawarra Mercury. 10 March Mercury, Illawarra. Our Forgein Coal Trade. Sydney Morning Herald. 12 March, Election of Aldermen. Illawarra Mercury. 17 February The Wollongong Harbour Works. Sydney Morning Herald. 14 May, 1864 pg Railway from Bulli to Wollongong. Sydney Morning Herald. 21 September 1864 pg Proceedings of the Wollongong Harbour Improvement Committee. Illawarra Express. 10 April Sand Drift. Illawarra Mercury. 27 January Balance Sheet of the Illawarra Agricultural Society F.R Illawarra Mercury. 3 March Municipal Election. Illawarra Mercury. 10 February Fras. Woodward, Solicitora, Wollongong. Abstract of the Title (William Hurt, John Francis Hurt, Patrick Carroll, Samson Davis Marks and Joseph Hart to land near Wollongong in the County of Camden and Colony of New South Wales, known as the Zlotkowski Estate Zlotkowski Estate. Illawarra Mercury. 3 November Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 20

22 Conrad Heininger Born: Died: 25 December 1842, Hemsbach, Germany 6 March 1906, Dapto Arrived in Australia: 30 August 1855 Resident of Dapto: Occupation: Farmer The history of Heininger House in Dapto, the current location of the Dapto Senior Citizens Centre, dates back to 1855, when 13 year old Conrad Heininger arrived in Australia from Germany with his sister Anna Maria, mother Barbara, father George Adam Heininger and his uncle Nicolas Hoffmann. Four other young sisters remained behind in Germany. It is still a mystery as to why Conrad's parents made such a painful decision to leave them behind. It could be speculated that it was a financial decision, unable to come up with the money for four more fares or it could have been the uncertainty of what the future would bring in a foreign land. There must have been difficult circumstances which forced them to leave without their four youngest children. In the 1850s the economic and social situation in the Germany was at a low. The price of food and clothing increased significantly; there was also a duty of compulsory military service for men; for those who took a part in the failed social revolution of 1848, there were persecutions and many farm owners became wage labourers (1). It is unknown why in 1855 Heininger left his home town of Hemsbach in south western Germany and travelled to the port of Hamburg in the north of the Germany, boarded the barque Charles Ross with 100 other German immigrants and travelled to Australia. The family arrived in Sydney on 30 August At that time, Sydney ship agents Haigh & Prell, placed an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald advertising newly arrived German immigrants readiness to work as shepherds, agricultural labourers, vine dressers and butchers. The Heiningers and Nicholas Hoffmann did not remain in Sydney for long; instead they travelled, most probably via coastal boat, to Maryborough in Queensland, arriving in September/October There is a story told in the Heininger family that after a short stay in Maryborough, Barbara was killed by local Aborigines who attacked their tent. Apparently during the time of the attack George Heininger and Nicholas Hoffmann were out boundary fencing. After Barbara s death, George and his daughter Anna Maria, returned to Germany but young Conrad and his uncle Nicolas stayed in Australia. Over the next 9 years there is no trace of what Conrad and his uncle did for a living. However, it is known that around 1864, 22 year old Conrad Heininger came to the Illawarra, became a farmer and opened the first butcher shop on the Princes Highway in Dapto. He also married Margaret Howes, the daughter of a convict John Howes, at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral in Wollongong. Three years later, in 1867, he was naturalised. His uncle Nicholas Hoffmann moved to the Riverina where he married and had 14 children. Nicolas died in Adelong in Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 21

23 In 1875 Heininger was selected to be part of a local School Board prior to the building of a Public School at Dapto in 1876 on the site of the current Dapto TAFE College (3). Conrad himself was not only a successful dairy farmer, but he was also known as an early breeder of Jersey cattle. In 1888 his cattle were recognised as being of a high class breed and the best in the area. Heininger won awards for his cattle at the first Albion Park Show. From 1893 to 1902, he served as an alderman on the Shellharbour Council for the Dapto-Shellharbour communities (2). His butcher shop was a very successful business. Both of his sons, John and Conrad Junior, also worked in the shop. The butcher shop provided a delivery service not only for the local Dapto residents, but also to remote parts of the area and distant homesteads. The meat was delivered by horse and buggy in those days. When Conrad died in 1906 he left his wife Margaret and their nine surviving children a substantial estate, which included Mt Johnston (where he resided) with 150 acres of land, land at Mt Marshall and Macquarie Rivulet, Avondale Estate, Milbrook Farm and more. Conrad Junior was the recipient by way of his father s will of ten acres of land in Dapto which included the Butchery. He, like his father, had been a respected cattle merchant in the area. When Conrad Junior decided to build Ashton Vale around 1912 (his own family home in Dapto) his father s house was demolished, but the original Heininger butcher shop was converted to a garage for the family car. In 1984 the Dapto Senior Citizens Centre was built on the location of the first butcher s shop in Dapto. During discussions concerning a name for the Senior Citizens Centre, it was agreed that the building should be named after one of the pioneering families of the Dapto area. The obvious choice was Heininger given that the centre is built on or near the exact spot where the Heininger family home and first butcher s shop once stood. (3). Photograph: Conrad Heininger , courtesy of Paul Heininger, great grandson of Conrad Heininger (private collection). Bibliography: 1. A History of Germans in Australia , Charles Meyer, 1990 by Monash University, Caulfield East Victoria. 2. Pioneers of Dapto and Marshall Mount Recalled South Coast Times, Quotation from handout given at the opening of Senior Citizens Centre (Heininger House). 4. Story based on research on life of Conrad Heininger by Paul Heininger, great grandson. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 22

24 Sigfrid Flodin Born: 1847, Gottenborg, Sweden Died: 19 December 1903, Dapto Arrived in Australia: 1870s Resident of Kiama, Wollongong and Dapto: Occupation: Photographer Daniel Solander, a Swedish botanist, was the first Swede to visit Australia. He arrived with Captain Cook in In the 1850s the gold rush in Victoria attracted more Swedes to Australia to try their luck on the Bendigo and Ballarat goldfields. However many more made their fortune later on by becoming farmers or establishing businesses (1). Swedes who settled in New South Wales assimilated well into Australian culture. They did not establish Swedish communities instead they lived in isolation from each other. Many of the early Swedish immigrants who arrived in New South Wales were predominantly men and they usually dispersed throughout the country. They were hard working, married Australian girls and the NSW government viewed them as a great immigrant asset to the colony (2). The first presence of Swedes in the Illawarra was recorded in the Census of NSW The census recorded 36 men and 3 women born in Sweden and Norway. The censuses after 1891 also recorded the numbers of Swedes who lived throughout the Illawarra (see census tables). One Swede who settled in the Kiama in 1878 was Sigfrid Andreas Samuel Flodin, with his wife (also from Sweden) Johanna Elsberg and their 11 Children. Sigfrid Flodin was an early professional photographer. They married in Sydney in 1876 and after two years they moved to Kiama, where Flodin opened a photographic studio at Manning Street. There were many local families who had their photographs taken by Flodin. He not only photographed people but enjoyed taking photographs of important events such as the Bulli Mine disaster or the 'Queen of Nations' vessel disaster (3). Because of his photographs many significant views of the Illawarra landscape have been saved for today s generation. In 1886 Sigfrid, Johanna Flodin and six of his children moved to Wollongong where he opened Flodin Studio. Henry Holden, Flodin s apprentice, who became well known award winning photographer stayed on in the Kiama studio continuing the photographic work in the area (4). 'The Towers' was the name of the house at the highest point of Kembla Street, Wollongong. The house was built in the 1880s and was bought by Flodin in He took a 300 loan for the purpose of building a tower as an addition to the house. The tower was of an octagon shape with a little balcony. Flodin needed the tower for the installation of an obscure camera in order to take photographs of the Wollongong area. On 19 February 1890, Flodin s financial matters went awry and he was declared insolvent. Consequently he had to leave the The Towers. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 23

25 Flodin stayed on a little longer in Wollongong but in 1902 he and his family moved to Dapto. They lived in a house called Pendora, where Flodin eventually died in He is buried at St Luke s Cemetery, Brownsville. Johanna did not stay in Dapto for a long time. She and the children moved to a house called Royal Stuart at Petersham where she died in 1930 (5). Photograph: Flodin's house, Kembla Street Wollongong, courtesy of the Illawarra Historical Society. Bibliography: 1. Australian Government, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, The Sweden-born Community, Historical Background, 2. Peter Provis, Review of One way passage: Swedish migrants to Australia in the James Sanderson Archive by Birgitta Sharpe, 3. 'The Queen of Nations, Illustrated Sydney News (NSW: ), Saturday 3 September 1881, pp. 15, Article. 4. Kiama Library Henry Holden Kiama Photographer ), /index.php?option=com_oziogallery2&view=07flickrslidershow&itemid= Carol Herben, Illawarra Historical Society The Sigfrid Flodin Story, Illawarra Historical Society Bulletin, November/December 2011 pp. 76, 77, 80. Acknowledgment: Special thanks to Carol Herben, Illawarra Historical Society for information about Flodin Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 24

26 John Radeski (Radecki) Born: Died: 1865 Lodz, Poland 1955, Hurstville, Sydney Arrived in Australia: 16 January 1882 Resident of Wollongong: Occupation: Stained Glass Artist In 1938 the Wollongong Presbyterian community celebrated the opening of the new Saint Andrew's Church. A stained glass window was donated to the Church in dedication to William and Elizabeth James of Shellharbour with the inscription; I was a stranger and you took me in and was followed by In a grateful remembrance of William James of Shellharbour and his wife Elizabeth, who in 1882 befriended the artist and his father (1). The artist behind the window was Polish born Jan Radeski (John Radecki). John Radecki arrived in Australia at the age of 16 on board the 'Forfarshire' on 16 January 1882 with his four siblings and parents, Paul and Victoria Radeski. The reason for the family s migration and settlement in Wollongong is not known. It may have been a job opportunity in one of the local coal mines. However, it is known that travelling with them was Thomas and Charlotte Wearn and their children who also settled in Wollongong (2). John Radecki s family was not wealthy, struggling in the beginning. John and his father had no work. When work became available in Kiama (30km from Wollongong) in one of the quarries, John and his father Paul walked there. They were not lucky, when they got there they found that the jobs had already been taken. Tired and hungry they had to walk back to Wollongong. On the way back, in Dunmore they met Mr Fuller who introduced them to Mr William James who offered them food and overnight shelter. This gesture of kindness stayed in the memory of John Radecki all his life and more than 50 years later he acknowledged the kindness he had experienced from Elizabeth and William James with the stained glass window (3). Finally, John and his father Paul found work in one of the Illawarra s coal mines. Paul worked in the mine for many years, but John only worked in the mine for a year when he left Wollongong in 1883 moving to Sydney to continue his study of art, the study which he had started at the German Art School in Posen. He studied at Sydney s Mechanics School of Art (later known as Sydney Technical College, Pitt Street) where he further developed his natural talent in drawing. In 1885 John Radecki was employed by Frederick Ashwin & Co., Stained & Embossed Glass & Works Company, also located in Pitt Street, Sydney. Frederick Ashwin taught John how to work with stained glass, including techniques in glass painting. The two men collaborated in making stained glass windows for various church buildings especially in Sydney and towns in country NSW. After Frederick Ashwin's death in 1909, John Radecki with John Ashwin (Frederick s brother) established their own company, John Ashwin & Co., in Dixon Street, Sydney, where John Radecki was chief designer and co-owner. After John Ashwin s death in 1919 John Radecki became the owner of the company until his death in 1955 (4). Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 25

27 Radecki has the reputation, of not only being the first Australian trained artist in stained glass, but of being one of the best of his time. Today his artistic work can be seen in various churches including Saint Mary s Cathedral, Sydney (east rose window); the Navel Chapel, Garden Island, Sydney; Commonwealth Bank, Sydney (the ceiling of the Grand Hall); Mitchell Library, Sydney (Caxton window), and in many churches in country towns across NSW (5). John Radecki lived in Wollongong for a very short time but he visited the town very often, not only to see his parents and sister Valentina or take a walk along Wollongong s beautiful beaches, but also to visit local parishioners and authorities of various Wollongong churches. These Wollongong parishioners and church authorities had commissioned him to design and produce stained glass windows usually to commemorate their loved ones. Today, three of Wollongong s church buildings and two in the northern suburbs of Wollongong, have some of the best examples of stained glass windows which were designed by John Radecki and produced by John Ashwin & Co. These stained glass works have both historical and artistic value. The filtered sunlight (depending on the strength of the light - morning or afternoon sun) that comes through purposefully chosen coloured glass contributes to the churches' unique atmosphere. The stained glass windows can be found in: Saint Michael s Anglican Church, Wollongong has 8 stained glass windows which were produced by John Ashwin & Co. Many of them, like the main three panel Assumption window, were design by John Radecki in The most splendid window in the church is a two panel piece designed by John in 1935 for Thomas and Charlotte Wearn. The inscription at the bottom of the window reads Arriving on Forfarshire 16 January 1882 (John Radecki s and Wearn families shared the journey to Australia). The face of Saint Mary Magdalene from one of the panels resembles Charlotte Wearn s face. Saint Mary s Star of the Sea Chapel, Wollongong has two stained glass windows which can by identified as being produced by John Ashwin & Co in the 1930s and designed by John Radecki. Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Wollongong has a Good Samaritan stained glass window dedicated to William and Elizabeth James. The window was the first and only window when the new church opened in There are now additonal John Ashwin & Co. stained glass windows designed by John Radecki in the church. Saint Michael's Catholic Church, Thirroul has three stained glass windows produced by John Ashwin & Co. Two of the windows were designed by John Radecki; the Holy Family window and a one panel window depicting Christ s Ascension. This window is different to that of the one at Saint Michael's in Wollongong as Radecki did not like to repeat his drawings. All Saints Anglican Church, Austinmer has one stained glass window from 1934, signed by John Radecki. This window, with four others, was moved from the old church building to the new modern building (6). Researched by Zofia Laba and in parts by Barbara Mazur. Written by Zofia Laba. Photograph: John Radecki, permission for use granted by Pauline Gates, granddaughter of John Radecki. Mitchell Library Collection Call Number PXD 1046/Box 5, Series 01: John Ashwin & Co. photographs of stained glass windows, ca. 1930s-1948; Portrait of John Radecki 1948 by various photographers. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 26

28 Bibliography: 1. The NSW Presbyterian, 9 March 1938, 'Story of a Window'. 2. Handwritten letter by Mrs R. Higman, granddaughter of William James to the Presbyterian Church, Wollongong, Wollongong Library MSS/ List of Immigrants per Ship Forfarshire', 16 January D. Giedraityte, Stained and Painted Glass in the Sydney Area, c (M.A. thesis, Sydney University, 1982). 5. Louise Anemaat, Australian Dictionary of Biography, 6. Information based on own primary research. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 27

29 George John (Jack) Nees Born: Died: Arrived in Australia: 1868 Offenbach, Germany 1902 Mt Kembla, Wollongong 1890s Resident of Mt Kembla: 1890s Occupation: Coal Miner Since the 1850s to the beginning of the 1900s, migrants from Germany dominated the non-british population living in the Illawarra. The majority of German migrants arrived mostly from Prussia as well as South East and South West Germany. The majority were farmers, rural labourers and trades people. According to the 1856 NSW Population Census, there were approximately 88 migrants of German origin living in the Illawarra. In 1901 the number dropped to 46. However, in 1911, the German migrant population was above 100 and was still the major non-british migrant community in the area. Before arriving in the Illawarra, some already made their fortune in the rich goldfields of Victoria. When they settled in the area they became farmers, butchers, hoteliers and blacksmiths as well as coach makers and builders, with some of the less wealthy taking jobs in the local coal mines. Together with migrants from other non-british possessions, they were often called foreign miners or foreigners. As the work in mines was hard and dangerous, they shared the same risks as their fellow Australian miners. On 23 March 1887 an explosion blew out the Bulli Mine tunnel, 81 miners lives were lost. Among them were lives of miners from non-british origin: John Henry Ehmann (1), Cecil Cavili, Louis Gorresen, Henry Olsen, John Rees, William Schofer, William Verco (2). A similar situation was repeated on 2 July 1902 with a gas explosion at the Mt Kembla Colliery. This time more lives were lost. 96 miners were killed making 33 women widows and 120 children fatherless. Among those killed was George John Nees (known as Jack Nees), a miner of German origin. George John Nees was born in Offenbach, Germany around 1868 and arrived in Australia in his 20s by jumping ship along with another German colleague. According to Jack Nees family story, Robert Benjamin of Mt Kembla was the local resident who apparently provided him refuge. He gained employment at Mt Kembla Mine and married Rebecca Benjamin in They lived in a cottage at the bottom of Benjamin Road at Mt Kembla. On Thursday, 31 July 1902, Jack left home early in the morning. His shift started at 5.30am. At 2.00pm a very large gas explosion occurred at the mine. The intensity of the explosion was such that it was heard as far as Wollongong. Hundreds of people went to Mt Kembla and took part in a rescue operation which took several days to complete, during which rescuers carried out the bodies of the dead miners. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 28

30 At 4.00pm on Saturday, 2 August, Jack Nees body was the last to be brought out of the mine. As he had been in an isolated part of the mine he died alone. He was buried on 3 August by his brother-in-law John Benjamin. He was only 34 when he died leaving behind an estate of 11 pounds. Rebecca Nees (nee Benjamin), his wife, was left behind with 6 young children, the youngest only a few months old (3). He was buried at Mt Kembla Cemetery. Photograph: Jack Nees with his wife Rebecca Nees (nee Benjamin) and daughter Isobelle (1895), courtesy of Debra Lewis of Russell Vale (great granddaughter of Jack Nees). Bibliography: 1. Sydney Morning Herald, 23 March 1904, page Illawarra Mercury, 26 April Information as supplied by Debra Lewis of Russell Vale, great granddaughter of Jack Nees. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 29

31 Joe Wah Gow Born: Died: Arrived in Australia: 1877, China 1950, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China 1897, Cairns, Queensland Resident of Wollongong: circa 1900s Occupation: Shopkeeper In the 1800s many of the Chinese migrants living in Australia were hawkers or grocery store owners. Their grocery shops mainly sold specific goods imported from China, as well as other goods. Ingredients needed for traditional Chinese dishes were very popular. Although some Chinese vegetables and fish were produced locally, there was a market among the Chinese migrants for other food ingredients and Chinese goods (1). The Fancy Goods Store, that was located on Lower Crown Street in Wollongong, provided for both Australian and Chinese customers with goods such as: groceries, fancy goods, confectionary tobacco and sundries. The shop also sold furniture in stock or furniture could be made to order. Hoong Sing Long, the owner of the shop, was a holder of a Hawkers Licence (2) and his business was sound. During 1877 he often advertised the shop in The Illawarra Mercury, but in April 1878 Hoong Sing Long placed an advertisement about the auction of everything that was in his shop. The reason for auction was that he had to leave the premises (3). In the 1890s there was another Chinese shop in Wollongong called the Hobson Chinese Grocery. This shop burned down on 25 August 1895 along with other buildings that were destroyed by the great fire in Wollongong (4). John and Rose Loo moved from Milton to Wollongong in They not only established market gardens between Coniston and Wollongong but they also had two shops in Port Kembla (5). In the 1920s one of Wollongong s successful shop owners was Joe Wah Gow. His grocery and drapery business, Joe Wah Gow & Co, was located on Crown Street, Wollongong (where the Piccadilly building is today). Joe Wah Gow arrived in Australia in 1897 and for the first few years he lived in Cairns, Queensland. It is unknown exactly when he left Cairns and arrived in Wollongong. After he settled in the area he married a Chinese woman called Ida Ko (Dockson) and together they had five Australian born children. Joe Wah Gow must have been homesick for his Chinese homeland because in 1929 he sold his business and left Australia with his family to live in his village of Long Tou Man in China where three more children were born. Some of his children returned to Australia after 1939, when the Japanese invaded the region of South China. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 30

32 Photograph: Picnic day for employees of Joe Wah Gow & Co, courtesy of Wollongong City Library, Image Number P14/P14954 from the collections of the Wollongong City Library and the Illawarra Historical Society. Bibliography: 1. Robyn Florance, Shoalhaven Historical Society, Tracing Chinese Footsteps on the South Coast of NSW, A Thematic History , pg. 46, May Research by Terry Nunan, Illawarra Mercury, Tuesday 6 February Research by Terry Nunan, Illawarra Mercury, 16 April Joan Rowan, The great fire of Wollongong; 1895, Illawarra Historical Society Bulletin, Sep, Oct & Nov Robyn Florance, Shoalhaven Historical Society, Tracing Chinese Footsteps on the South Coast of NSW, A Thematic History , pg. 40 May Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 31

33 Chinese Labourers and Farmers Born: Various Years in Early 1800s, China Died: Illawarra Arrived in Australia: Resident of Various Suburbs of the Illawarra: Occupation: 1850s 1850s s Labourers and Farmers Chinese immigrants, mostly men, have lived in the Illawarra since the early 1850s and for a few decades in the ninetieth century they were the second largest group of immigrants from non- British heritage (see census tables). When Alexander Berry, the owner of Coolangatta Estate, experienced a shortage of cheap labour he decided to employ Chinese labourers. On 17 May 1852 he paid 13 each for the eight Chinese men who arrived from Sydney to work on his Coolangatta Estate. By April 1853 Berry employed a further 13 Chinese labourers who came from Amoy*, China. In 1852, Henry Osborne, a well-known land owner in Marshall Mount and Avondale, employed four Chinese workers. All of the four men married Australian women and all of them worked for Henry Osborne and Dr Alick Osborne. They lived on Henry Osborne s properties at Mt Marshall and Avondale and on Dr Alick Osborne s property Daisy Bank. In 1854 John Chie, who for many years worked at Avondale farm, married Catalina Leslie. In the 1870s he moved to Henry Osborne s Kangaroo Valley farm. John Chie worked hard burning and ring barking. For his work Osborne paid him a wage of 30 per year or he paid him per job. John earned enough to afford a tin of opium at Kangaroo Valley Nugent s Store, he also had enough to be able to help those in need by lending money and donating to the Kangaroo Valley Anglican Church. He was naturalised in 1872 (1). Another Chinese immigrant who worked for Henry Osborne was John Chi Chin. He lived and worked there until his death at age 88 on 10 June He is buried at St Luke s Cemetery in Dapto. There were many other Chinese immigrants who lived and worked in the Illawarra, such as Hoar Miar. He was in his twenties when he was employed as a labourer on the Berkeley Estate. Hoar Miar died on 23 July 1860 and was buried on the estate where he worked. John Gan was a farmer who was employed in the 1850s at Marshall Mount. Tragically he died on 6 January 1860 at aged 40 and is buried at St Luke s Cemetery in Dapto (2). Tommy Gam (Gammy) arrived from China in On 25 July 1855 he married Bridget O Neil at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church. In 1862 he obtained 50 acres at Calderwood (Marshall Mount). Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 32

34 This land was obtained in his son's (Thomas) name, because at the time Tommy could not be granted land because he was not naturalised. In 1872 Tommy was naturalised as a resident of Avondale. Tommy and Bridget were dairy farmers. They sold farm animals not only to local buyers but to buyers from Sydney as well. On 29 June 1875 while Tom was delivering calves and other farm products to Wollongong Harbour a tragic accident occurred which resulted in his death. He is buried at the Dapto Cemetery. On 2 July 1875 the Illawarra Mercury placed an article about the accident Fatal Accident - We regret having to record a fatal accident in this issue,... the victim being Tommy Gammy, a Chinaman, resident near Marshall Mount. It appears that the deceased came into town on Tuesday, with calves and some produce in a cart in intention of forwarding this to Sydney per steamer. There being no boat on that day, he took the load back again, and when a little past the public school, Marshall Mount, - as we have been informed, the cart was capsized by means of one wheel coming in contact with a stump, the result being the deceased was killed on the spot,...deceased, who was married, and leaves a wife and family, was a resident of Marshall Mount for the last twenty years or so, and was highly peaceful and industrious. (3). There is a story among descendants of Joseph Chu Chin that he arrived in Australia on 23 June 1858 on board the ship Herald of the Morning possibly as a seaman where he met Ellen Daly, his future wife who was travelling at that time to Australia. They were married at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Wollongong on 26 November 1859 and had 6 children. NSW State records have at least 10 variation of Joseph s surname. In 1890 Joseph and his family adopted the anglicised name Churchin. Joseph was born in 1830 in Fujien, Amoy, in China. He and Ellen lived in the Illawarra from the late 1850s to the late 1860s. During this time in the Illawarra Joseph worked as a labourer. Joseph Chu Chin and his family moved from the Illawarra to Jembaicumbene. In the 1890s Joseph s son Edward, returned to Wollongong as Edward Churchin. Edward worked for many years at Marcus Clarks shop as shop assistant and was a much respected citizen of this town (4). *Amoy island between Taiwan and Chinese mainland Photograph: Mt Marshall 1879, Photograph from the Collection of City Library and Illawarra Historical Society. Illawarra Images, Wollongong City Library, P07/PO7827 Marshall Mount, 1879 From Town and Country Journal 20 th September, 1879 on photograph; Marshall Mount, Illawarra District. Bibliography: 1. Robyn Florance, Shoalhaven Historical Society, Tracing Chinese Footsteps on the South Coast of NSW', A Thematic History , pg , May Robyn Florance, Shoalhaven Historical Society, Tracing Chinese Footsteps on the South Coast of NSW', A Thematic History , pg. 15, May Research by Terry and Wendy Nunan: Local News, Illawarra Mercury 16/04/1872; Records of marriages, St. Francis Xavier s Wollongong; Fatal Accident, Illawarra Mercury 02/07/ Terry Churchin, 'Churchin Family Story', based on research by Barry Swift at NSW State Archives and information supplied by Merle Churchin, Wollongong. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 33

35 Chinese Market Gardens Born: Died: Various Years from early to late 1800s, China Illawarra or China Arrived in Australia: Resident of Various Suburbs in the Illawarra: Occupation: 1850s s At various times from the 1870s Labourers/Farmers In the 1870s when gold mining was not as profitable as it was in the 1850s and 1860s, a large number of Chinese immigrants moved to different locations across Australia. Many of them possessed knowledge and experience in agriculture and so it was easy for them to change occupation from gold miner to gardener. Many market gardens were established throughout Australia. In the 1900s one in three Chinese men who settled in Victoria, NSW or Western Australia was a vegetable grower. They usually established gardens within the suburbs of a city and depending on the area, they specialised in different fruit and a range of vegetables. Very often there were at least ten people working in a garden and the owner would work closely with Chinese greengrocers or storekeepers. This cooperation was important as very often gardeners needed financial help. The Chinese market gardens existed until the 1950s (1). From the 1870s there were a number of Chinese market gardens spread throughout the Illawarra. In the early 1900s in Bulli, there were three Chinese market gardens. Reanicl Bay garden was located in William Street, Bulli. The garden was run by Lee, a Chinese immigrant who worked in the garden and delivered vegetables and other farm products to his customers using a horse and cart. Tommy King and a few other Chinese men worked in one of the other Bulli gardens. The products from the gardens were sold on the premises to regular customers. George Wong from Northern China had the biggest garden in Bulli. The garden was located behind the back fences of the properties near the main road. George Wong had many Chinese men working in the garden (but no Chinese women). At one stage there were thirteen men working in the garden. Most often, they would go back to China when they made some money and be replaced by new arrivals from China. George Wong specialised in growing tomatoes, watermelons and sugar melons. Many of the jobs in the garden were done by hand, like chipping soil with hoes. They would have one horse for pulling a cart and another one for pulling a plough. Wong and his fellow Chinese workers used a yoke on their shoulders with two baskets to carry the vegetables or they would attach cans to the yoke when they needed to water the plants. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 34

36 The garden had a big wooden shed where George Wong displayed his vegetables, especially on weekends when local people came on foot, bikes or horse and trap to purchase the most delicious vegetables that only a Chinaman could grow (2). There were also two other buildings on the property; a four roomed cottage where George Wong and his fellow Chinese workers slept and a kitchen where they ate. The kitchen did not have an oven only a fire place with an enormous wok hanging on chains above the fire. The other utensils in the kitchen were cast iron kettles. They always drank very sweet tea which they prepared for themselves every morning in a demijohn. George and Old Sam, one of his workers, spoke good English but many others could not speak English at all. When the garden closed George Wong and Old Sam went back to China (3). Sun Yoou Lee had a market garden in Woonona which he worked in himself along with other Chinese. In 1911 there was quite a substantial Chinese market garden in Bellambi. There was an irrigation system in use and water was pumped by a newly installed steam engine. In addition to supplying products to the local markets, the Bellambi market garden also supplied produce to Sydney customers. In 1911 as many as 800 boxes of tomatoes were sent to Sydney. Not far from the Bellambi Chinese market garden was another garden in Corrimal (4). In 1878 the Waldron family from Mt Pleasant leased between acres of their Mt Pleasant Estate to some Chinese men from Sydney. It was estimated that around 24 Chinese men worked in the garden where they grew tobacco and vegetables (5). Sam Lee and his wife had a market garden at Para Meadow (now Fairy Meadow). In October 1905 when someone stole some vegetables from their garden Lee and his wife decided to stand watch to catch the thief. Their efforts paid off when at about nine o clock they saw two men cutting cabbages and placing them into bags. Sam Lee called out to the intruders not to run away, and on hearing him one of the men struck Mrs Lee with a bag of cabbages and also hit her. In her terror she called out to her husband, who is near-sighted, to fire, and having a loaded revolver, Lee did so, firing into the ground with the object of frightening the thieves away. The second man thereupon rushed him with a knife, cutting Lee deeply across the upper lip, and down the left side in different directions. As they were retreating Lee fired three shots after them, but although a bullet struck the top rail of the fence where one man jumped over, he was evidently not hit. Lee lost a large quantity of blood. His wife conveyed him home, and attended temporarily to his wounds, after which the doctor had to place 10 stitches in them. So far no arrests have been made. (6). From 1907 Dion Thomas Chong and his Chinese wife Annie had a market garden in Fairy Meadow, where the Fraternity Club is located today. Dion had come to Australia in the 1880s and earlier tried his luck in the gold fields of Nerrigundah (36km from Narooma on the South Coast). He later ran a general store but the gold ran out in Nerrigundah and his business was affected forcing him to sell the store. In 1907 the Dion family moved to Fairy Meadow and started a market garden. He was unable to produce a large amount of vegetables because the creek which flowed near the garden would often flood. This proved a hardship for the family of 12 children. In March 1920 Thomas got sick and died. In 1923 his son Thomas junior, with help of his older brothers and sisters, opened a new business operating buses. This became first bus service from Wollongong to Balgownie and Bellambi and is still in operation today. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 35

37 Figtree Chinese garden owner Ah Lim and his three Chinese workers also found it extremely difficult to grow a big crop of vegetables in the 1890s because Fairy Creek would often flood the garden. Ting Lee Chong, Chew Hop and Ding Hop Chong (Ah Chong) had market gardens spread throughout the Wollongong area. In the 1920s John and Rose Loo moved from Milton to Wollongong and established a market garden between Coniston and Swan Street in Wollongong. John and Rose also had shops in Port Kembla. In the 1890s Kiama also had few Chinese gardens: one between Shoalhaven Street and the railway line in North Kiama and Dido Street. Jamberoo s Chinese market gardener was known as John. The vegetables which he grew were sold from his cart pulled by a horse from house to house in Jamberoo. He did not have a large number of workers in his garden relying on just one other Chinese helper. Many of the Chinese gardens were located near creeks which resulted in crops of vegetables often being washed away by floods that would occur. Because of the flooding one of the gardens near the Minimurra River did not last long (7). Photograph: Thomas & Ann Dion and Family 1919 courtesy of Les Dion (private collection). Bibliography: 1. Sophie Couchman, La Trobe University Market Gardening and Farming, Chinese Australian Historical Images, 2. Jack Devitt, Reminiscences of Jack Devitt, Illawarra Historical Society Illawarra, Historical Society Bulletin, February, 1991, pg Jack Devitt, Reminiscences of Jack Devitt, Illawarra Historical Society Illawarra, Historical Society Bulletin, February, 1991, pgs. 118, Robyn Florance, Shoalhaven Historical Society Tracing Chinese Footsteps on the South Coast of NSW', A Thematic History , May 2008, pg Chinese establishment, Illawarra Mercury, 5 May Sensational affray. Chinese gardener wounded, The Sydney Morning Herald, 31 October 1905, pg Robyn Florance, Shoalhaven Historical Society Tracing Chinese Footsteps on the South Coast of NSW', A Thematic History , May 2008, pgs. 30, 39, 40, 50, 51, 52. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 36

38 Ala Mahomed also known as Charlie Ameera Box or Rhattamulla Born: 1878 Died: 1945 Arrived in Australia: 1895 Resident of Albion Park: 1900s Occupation: Storekeeper The first Indians to arrive in Australia in the beginning of the 19 th century were convicts sent by the British Colonial Government in India. They were followed by Indian labourers who arrived at the end of the 19 th century with British settlers from India (India from was under British Colonial rule). These Indian migrants were usually employed as agricultural labourers and hawkers in country towns of NSW and Victoria (1). In the Illawarra, the first record of 12 immigrants of Indian origin can be traced back to Most of them (4 females and 6 males) lived in central Illawarra, one in Shellharbour and one in Jamberoo. It is difficult to establish if the people listed as being born in India in the 1891 Census of NSW or the Commonwealth of Australia Censuses, were of Indian heritage or of British heritage born in India (see census tables). Ala Mohammed, known as Rhattamulla or Charlie Ameera Box, was an Indian storekeeper who, in the early 1900s, had a general store in Flinders Street (Tongarra Road) in Albion Park. It is not known how he was financed but between he became the owner of a large double fronted building and the general store in Albion Park. The building had a large veranda and its posts were used to tie up horses, sulkies and carthorses. People from Albion Park and surrounding areas could buy different types of jams, tomato sauce and pickles, tinned meat, biscuits, golden syrup, as well as paint, kerosene, porcelain, enamel baths, stoves, furniture and more (2). In 1914 Charlie Ameera Box married Ruby Anderson. Ruby never worked in the store. They did not have any children and their marriage was to last only a few years due to Ruby's death in In 1925, Charlie retired from his job as a storekeeper. The store on Tongarra Road must have been a successful business because in the 1920s Charlie was able to afford the purchase of land and property including land located in Terry Street, a house and land on Stapleton's Hill, a cottage in Crome Street (now Russell Street) and a few lots of land on the Fuller Estate. Charlie's hobby was to take a part in the Albion Park Show s buggy and pairs class competition. For many years he won the competition. He and his pair of black ponies, which were perfectly matched in size and gait, were hard to beat. Charlie died in Sydney hospital in 1945 leaving his entire estate to his family in India. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 37

39 Photograph: View of floodwaters in Albion Park from the Commercial Hotel, Shellharbour Library File No 001/001479, Photo date Shop in photo is Ameera Box General Store. Reproduced with thanks to the copyright owner Shallharbour City Library Services. Bibliography: 1. Origins; history of immigration from India 2. Albion Park, Illawarra Mercury, 6 December The story is based on information on Ameera Box compiled by Dorothy Gillis, The Tongarra Heritage Society and 'Tongarra Tales' by Jack Martin, published by the Tongarra Heritage Society Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 38

40 Antonio Porratta Born: 14 March 1878, Genoa, Italy Died: 11 February 1959, Wollongong Arrived in Australia: March, 1899 Resident of Wollongong: Occupation: Fisherman It appears that the first Italian migrants to New South Wales were three Italian priests brought out to Australia by John Bede Polding, the first Catholic Archbishop of Sydney. They arrived in NSW in In the 1840s another Italian clergyman, a Sicilian born Benedictine, Father Emanuele Ruggero, had also arrived. Father Ruggero was appointed by Archbishop Polding to work in the areas of Campbelltown and Camden. The late 1840s also witnessed the arrival of many stonemasons from Lombardy who were involved in building the village of Hunters Hill. The Sardinian cargo vessel Goffredo Mameli, which arrived in 1856, brought a further 84 Italian migrants. By the 1870s there were about 500 Italian migrants in Sydney. Many of them lived in abysmal conditions in what the Australian press disparagingly called Macaroni Row, a cluster of 36 putrid and miserable houses in Castlereagh Street. They earned their living by selling hokeypokey (ice cream), fruit and flowers, or as street musicians and organ grinders, begging in the streets with the inevitable monkey on their shoulders (1). The 1856 NSW Census for Kiama and Wollongong recorded a number of people from USA, Germany and France and 18 from other foreign countries. The other foreign countries were likely to be Poland and Italy because in a letter to the editor of The Illawarra Mercury dated 7 March 1856 by Igancy Zlotkowski of Wollongong, a Polish born professor of languages, Zlotkowski wrote about the situation of newly arrived servants who came from France, Germany and Italy... Captain Sullivan often used to send to me German, French and Italian servants who were unable to speak the English language. I tried my best to explain their wants and to get them to their destination. I have been even once the arbitrator between a gentleman near this and an Italian, and many miles I walked to set their disputes in buono ordine (2). On 13 April 1856 an Italian, John Sanarini, came to Wollongong from Golden Gully, near Mudgee. Sanarini had come to Wollongong to deliver furniture and when the job was done, he went to the local hotel to have a drink where he dropped dead. He was buried in Wollongong s Roman Catholic Cemetery (3). In the 1890s there were a greater number of people from Italy living in the Illawarra. The 1891 NSW Census recorded the names of the Giosepp Bietti and Pietro Bonni, Bonomi Bortoli, Frisho and Bottdo Comensoli. Most of them lived in the northern Illawarra area (4). Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 39

41 Antonio Serafino Porratta, another Italian, arrived in Australia in March He sailed on board the Savora where he was employed as a sailor. His family tell the story that he jumped ship in Australia, and chose Wollongong as his new home. In 1904 he married Emma Lehmann and together they had six children whom they brought up in a cottage at 59 Evans Street, Wollongong. Porratta changed his occupation from sailor to fisherman. From February 1900 to February 1906 he worked on a coastal boat called Ruakaka. In 1913 he was naturalised. In 1925 he became a licensed fisherman on his own account and owned a 25 feet long boat called Nita and a small rowboat (5). Antonio Poratta died on 11 February After his death, his son Charles Alfred believed that his father could have been the one of the first Italian fishermen in the area, and remembers seeing his father setting out to sea in a small rowboat (6). Photograph: Poratta family home, in 59 Evans Street Wollongong. In 2011/2012 the house was demolished and a new 2 storey residence has been built in its place. Photograph courtesy of Raine and Horne Real Estate as advertised in Bibliography: 1. Gianfranco Cresciani, Italians, Dictionary of Sydney, 2008, 2. Ignacy Zlotkowski To the Editor of the Illawarra Mercury, Illawarra Mercury, 10 March Researched by Terry Bugg, Wollongong Family History Group. 4. NSW Census 1891, Wollongong Library LR 304.6/IND. 5. National Security (Aliens Control) Regulations. Application for Permit to be employed on, or to be afloat in a Fishing or other small vessel, National Archive of Australia, Digital copy of item with barcode Gerardo Zampaglione, Italians in Illawarra, pg. 51. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 40

42 Assaf (George) Badran Born: Died: 1878, El-Monsif near Byblos, Lebanon 1935, Wollongong Arrived in Australia: 1921 Resident of Wollongong: Occupation: Hawker/Merchant The early Lebanese migrants started arriving in Australia in the mid-19th century. They came from the area of Mount Lebanon. Because this area was the province of Syria in the Ottoman Empire (Turkish territory), they were called Syrians or Ottomans. Financial hardship and religious persecution were some of the reasons the Lebanese left their homeland country (1). A large number of Lebanese migrants, who arrived in NSW during the late 19 th and beginning of the 20 th century, settled in Redfern, Sydney. Many of them were self employed and owned businesses and warehouses which provided not only employment to those Lebanese who lived in the Redfern area, but also provided goods to hawkers. From the owners of the warehouses the newly arrived Lebanese received (sometimes on credit) suitcases full of drapery, manchester or small goods such as cotton thread, ribbons, handkerchiefs and more. These Lebanese, known as Syrian hawkers, with full suitcases travelled to small country towns of NSW where they sold their goods. Usually, after few years on the road, the Syrian hawkers would make enough money to establish their own businesses such as general stores, drapery and manchester stores, men s and women s clothing stores, fruit and vegetable shops, as well as cafes and milk bars. In 1911 out of 1,297 Lebanese males who settled in NSW, 455 were store keepers and hawkers (2). Assaf (George) Badran was born in 1878 in the small village of El-Monsif near Byblos, Lebanon. His mother died at his birth and so as baby, the whole village took care of him. The living conditions in the village of El-Monsif were very harsh. At age 18 he left Lebanon and went to New York, USA where he was hawker driving a sulky pulled by an old horse with only one eye as at that time he could not afford a better horse. After four years he went back to his village in Lebanon where he married and used the money he made in the USA to establish himself as the owner of a small shop. Post World War One, in 1921, hardship and religious persecutions forced him to leave Lebanon to try his luck again, this time in Australia. He arrived in Sydney, Redfern where he met other Lebanese (called Syrians at that time) who owned shops and warehouses. They gave him a suitcase full of clothes and materials on credit and it was from this he was able to establish himself as a hawker. Assaf (George) Badran, arrived in Wollongong in 1921 as a Syrian hawker. After a whole day of hawking from house to house in the suburbs and the farms, he stayed overnight at 144 Crown Street, Wollongong. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 41

43 Badran liked Wollongong and its suburbs from his very first day and decided to stay in town for good. At that time he was one of only five Syrians living in Wollongong (see census tables). For the next two years he rented the bottom floor of the house where he had previously stayed overnight, bringing goods from Sydney and hawking them in the Illawarra. When he made enough money he bought the house he was renting and converted it to a shop where he sold clothes and materials. Badran's shop was a very successful business and George found he needed someone to help, especially from 1926 when he expanded his business to selling silks in his store. George's son Michael was studying engineering at the American University in Beirut and in 1931, forsaking his studies, came to Australia to help his father. Michael Badran was a very successful business entrepreneur. Badran's shop was booming and making enough money to allow them to build the splendid Normandie Hotel in Bourke Street in It was the pride of the Badran family and was named after the famous Normandy Hotel in Beirut. George Badran died in 1953 in Wollongong. In 1954, after George's death, Michael brought his son Raymond from Lebanon to Wollongong (Raymond was born in Wollongong, but went to Lebanon with his sick mother and lived there for 19 years). At the time Raymond, like his father, was also studying engineering at the American University in Beirut. Under Michael and Raymond s management, in the 1950s, the Badran s shop was known as the biggest silk store outside of Sydney and was one of the largest importers of fabrics. The shop was modernised and extended to a double storey building with a prestigious look in For over 80 years the women of Wollongong and its suburbs were dressed by clothes bought from Badrans. Badrans closed its doors in The success of the business was a result of "hard work, passion, knowledge and the love of Wollongong and the love of Badrans to Wollongong which allowed it to last for a long time", said Mr Raymond Badran who went on to say, "In every town or village in Australia there is a Lebanese who open the shutters of a shop with sunrise and closes with sunset". Photograph: Michael and Raymond Badran (son and grandson of Assaf Badran), courtesy of Raymond Badran. Bibliography: 1. Lebanese Settlement, Migration Heritage Centre NSW Paul Convy and Dr Anne Monsour, Lebanese Settlement in New South Wales: a thematic history, pg. 14, Private information - Raymond and Rose Badran of Mt Ousley. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 42

44 Evelthon Nicola Imisides Born: 23 September 1900 Vatili, Cyprus Died: 9 June 1969, Primbee Arrived in Australia: 20 March 1928 Resident of Wollongong, Primbee: Occupation: Café/Fish Shop Owner Migrants born in Greece have lived in the suburbs of the Illawarra from the early 1880s. The 1891 Census of NSW recorded three Greek males who lived in Kiama East, Gerringong and Shellharbour. This number only increased to four males by This situation changed by 1933 when about 34 migrants born in Greece lived across the Illawarra. By this time there were also five Greek women. Greek migrants usually established themselves as the owners of small businesses, from general stores to cafés, milk bars, fish shops and restaurants. The very first cafés usually served Australian cuisine such as steak and chips, sausages and vegetables. In the 1930s, many Greek migrant-owned milk bars became popular. Usually the whole family, including the children, were involved in the running of the business. The Tambakis Brothers: Peter, Harry and Theo, were from the island of Kythera. They were known locally as the Theodore Bros. The brothers began arriving in Australia from 1909 but by 1933 they were all in Wollongong. As experienced café owners they purchased the Wollongong Silver Bell Café from Samsey (Tsaousis), a Greek family (1). There were others who introduced fish shops to the region such as Vasilious George Eliopoulos (known as William Ellis) who owned a café/fish shop in Wollongong (2) and Evelthon Nicola Imisides who ran a number of fish shop businesses in the Illawarra. Evelthon Nicola Imisides was a Greek who was born in Cyprus on 23 September In Cyprus he was a breeder of silk worms as well as having worked for a number of years as an irrigation superintendent. Evelthon arrived in Australia on 20 March At first he settled in Sydney, where he married and worked as a chef in a hotel restaurant. In 1936 Evelthon Imisides, with his wife Esther and two children, left Sydney and settled in Wollongong. Their first home in Wollongong was a miner's cottage at Mt Keira. The Imisides shared this cottage with the Economos family, another Greek family. Both Evelthon and John Economos opened fish shops in Wollongong. Evelthon s first fish shop was on the corner of Crown and Keira Streets, next to the Flinders Inn Hotel and John Economos opened his fish shop in Crown Street. Evelthon Imisides (known as Bob) soon opened another fish shop on Wentworth Street in Port Kembla. In 1939 he opened the 'Cyprus Café on Crown Street Wollongong, opposite Macaulay s Hotel. Identifying early Illawarra Pioneers from diverse cultural backgrounds from settlement to the 1940s Page 43