Chapters
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Queensland's History and its Sources |
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Railways |
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The German Emigration to Queensland |
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About the History of German Culture in Queensland |
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The Logan District |
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The Darling Downs |
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Bundaberg |
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Wine and Grapes |
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Fruit-Trees |
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Buying Land from the Queensland Government |
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Immigration |
Queensland's History and its Sources
A country with such a huge dimension, like this colony, an interesting study. It is difficult to describe in a few words the great importance and the magnificent future this country definetely has. Our famous fellow-countryman Mr Leichhardt who lost his life trying to open this colony and whose name is closely associated with the history of Queensland, took part in its development. Then the pioneers came, those people who created under difficult circumstances a paradise out of wilderness, created industries out of nothing. Closed settlements gave the country a new look and the unknown colony became inhabitable and secure, secure in so far as the British legislation acted energetically at once, fair, but also liberal. And the administration stayed liberal until today. Men who arrived here found more than what was necessary to make an ordinary living.
In a country that only has very little navigable rivers, railways become very important. Queensland and the other Australian colonies built the railways as state property and are also administered by the state. The head of the administration is the 'Commissioner for Railways'. At the end of the fiscal year of 1896-97, 2505 3/4 miles were open for traffic.
The German Emigration to Queensland
The first more specific information regarding the existence of the 'Colony Queensland' came to Germany only in 1862 through the interesting reports of the World Exhibition in London. Not even 4 years old - the birthday of the colony was on December 1st, 1859 - the colony had already participated on the Fair with its products. Queensland is the youngest, but probably the most promising colony of Australia. When it was separated from New South Wales, Queensland had 15,000 inhabitants. On January 1st 1898 it had almost 250,000 souls. About 25,000 of them were Germans with wives and children.
The world trade traffic of Queensland is very noteworthy and the traffic with Asia will be very important in the future.
The big distance from Europe and the peculiarity of English colonies that did not allow, like the North American Union, the free movement of different cultures, but, under the stamp of the English sovereignty, also preserved the nationality and herewith the dependency on the mother country, were the big hindrances for German migration to Queensland and Australia on the whole. However, the specific English is loosing ground more and more in Queensland and the Australian is gaining appreciation.
About the History of German Culture in Queensland
Wem Gott will rechte Gunst erweisen,
den schickt er in die weite Welt . . .
(Whom God wants to do a right favour, he sends into the far world . . .)
The first settlements of Germans in the colony of Queensland took place with no doubt by the German missionaries, who have been sent by the Gossner Mission to preach the gospel.
Last update: 02.12.2000