From the Rhine to New South Wales – The Gersbach Story

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...

Our earliest photo of "Pargie" aged 24 Sydney, 1885 I grew up hearing my father’s stories about Anton and Margaretha Gersbach, my second great-grandparents, and their son Francis (Frank), my great-grandfather. We all knew Frank as “Pargie.” He died seven years before I was born, yet he was spoken of with such love that I’ve always felt close to him. One of my childhood treasures was his Bible—beautifully illustrated, with faded photographs of Anton and Margaretha, who had left Germany for a new life in Australia. It hinted at a large, close family, and years later it inspired me to start researching our Gersbach roots. The trail begins on the Rhine River, in the towns of Eltville and Oestrich-Winkel, just 8 km apart and near Frankfurt. In the 1850s, many from this region migrated to Australia as vinedressers, shepherds or farm labourers. Among them were four Gersbach men - two sets of brothers: Johann (John)  and  Anton  Johann Valentine (Valentine)  and...