The Gersbachs from Eltville to Kempsey, Orange & St Marys

Held in The Watts Family Collection What a priceless photo from about 1905 of my great-great-grandparents, Anton Gersbach and Margaretha Söngen, at Aldavilla, their farm on the banks of the Macleay River. They'd arrived in Sydney Harbour fifty years earlier when Anton was thirty two and Margareta was twenty five. The farm was named after Anton's hometown, Eltville, which sits on the northern side of The Rhine fifty kilometre west of Frankfurt. Eight kilometres further along The Rhine is Winkel, the home town of Margaretha and many Gersbach relatives. Anton chose the land because it reminded him of his homeland. Anti-clockwise from top left is Aldavilla, Eltville, en route to Winkel and Winkel. Vineyards and wine production have been the main industry for centuries with many established by Catholic religious orders. The area is famous for Rheingau Riesling. It's not surprising that Anton and his brother, Johann, listed their calling as "vinedresser" when they arriv...

Henry Gritten, Sydney Harbour, 1855 On 9 December 1854, Johann (John) and Clara Gersbach departed from Hamburg on board the Catteaux Wattel accompanied by their five young children.  The New South Wales Assisted Immigrants Passengers List records John as 35, Clara as 30, Margaretha as 10, Elisabetha as 7, Joseph as 5, Clara as 4 and Gertrude as 1.     John and the children's "native place" is recorded as Eltville and Clara's is Oberwalluf  which is on the close by Eltville.  Both are in the Duchy of Nassau.  John's  occupation is vine dresser.  You can read more about the German migration to New South Wales in the 1850s  HERE.   John and Clara say they have no relatives in the colony.   The ship likely called at Bremer and Hobart before arriving in Sydney on 9 March 1855. On arrival, it's reported there were 430 German immigrants and that- "The Catteaux Wattel lost twenty infants to dysentery on the passage."  (HERE) John and t...