Darling Downs pioneers Johann Georg Ludwig Kuhn and Eva Maria Wohlfahrt

My great grandparents, Johann George Ludwig (George) Kuhn and Eva Maria Wohlfahrt,  travelling on the Johann Caesar, arrived in Moreton Bay (Brisbane) Australia on January 14th 1853.  Both were born in Baden, Preussen (later Prussia): George in about 1823 to John Kuhn and Barbara Lorn;  and Eva in about 1824 to Peter Wohlfahrt and Margaret Geiner (as recorded on the ship's manifest).

Soon after their marriage, they had travelled to Hamburg with their six month old son Valentine, and there boarded the Johann Caesar, as a NSW government sponsored 'vinedresser' family.

The Johann Caesar was one of a number of vessels bringing NSW government sponsored immigrant vinedresser families to NSW (as Queensland was then known) between 1849 and 1856. As Peter Ludlow (2020) ( https://peterlud.wordpress.com/ctegary/Germany) in his Moreton Bay History explains, in the 1850's the Darling Downs region was a burgeoning agricultural area with large areas of land owned by a newly created 'squatter aristocracy' or 'squattocracy', in need to workers to manage their pastoral properties.

In 1848, a book, Australien und siene Vortheile fur Auswanderer (Australia and its Advantages for Immigrants) and associated posters was promoted across Germany (https://peterlud.wordpress.com/ctegary/Germany). Maybe George and Eva had been inspired by this encouragement?

In Australia George and Eva had eight more children, all born on the Darling Downs: Mary-Ann (1853-1934), Michael (1856-1935), Bernat (1858-1858), John (1859-1930), Margaret (1861-1889), Rosina (1867-1955), George (1869-1951) and Eva (1871-1954). George worked on various properties including in Maryvale on the Clydesdale stud owned by the Wienholt brothers.

Eva died 41 years before George, and in his later years George lived with his youngest daughter Eva and her husband Alexander Earl Ellis, at St Julian's Farm, Table Top. 'The Queensland' newspaper, 3rd August 1918, included a report of George's death in an article titled 'Passing of the Pioneers':

... The death of the late Mr. George Kuhn snr. took place somewhat suddenly last Sunday morning, at his daughter's residence, at Landsborough. Deceased came to Australia from Germany 66 years ago. For a number of years, he was employed by Wienholt Bros., of Maryvale, and after leaving there he resided at Spring Creek, near Clifton. After retiring from farming he took up residence with his children. He is survived by three daughters and three sons - mrs. R. C. Bishop (King's Creek), Mrs. A. E. Ellis (Westbrook), Mrs. H. Kowald (Landsborough), Messrs. George Kuhn (Nobby), M. Kuhn (Back Plains) and Jack Kuhn (Texas) - 36 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. The deceased had reached the age of 94 years and 11 months.


Sadly I do not have photos of my great grandparents, and only one of their son Michael (my grandfather). 



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