Number 38 March 2014 President: Margaret Hannan 325 2588 Lincoln and Districts Secretary: Margaret Morrish 325 2790 Historical Society Editor: Alistair Campbell 325 2773 Immigrants - Neville Moar We know a lot about early settlers to Canterbury, who be welcomed to work in the burgeoning factories of came from the British Islands, but not so much about England. those who came from other countries. One group, rare- th ly considered, came from Germany during the later 19 And so they came to Lyttelton, either as single or mar- century and most contributed to the development of our ried men, with high hopes and perhaps some trepidation district and sometimes even to the wider community. to begin their new life. Most had to start as labourers Julius von Haast is an outstanding example of one and took what work was offered, but some like Adolf whose legacy extends well beyond the confines of Can- Lindemann arrived with enough money to set them- terbury Province. That so little is known about these selves up in business. Or so it seemed. In any event people, where they came from and when, what they did Lindemann first comes to our attention as the manufac- to begin their new life and how they eventually settled turer of mineral waters in Christchurch, who became permanently into society is unfortunate to say the least. bankrupt only to reappear as a store keeper in Tai Tapu, Whilst the descendants of these first comers may know where he secured the right to sell the Tai Tapu dairy their history, it is difficult for the general enquirer to company’s butter. Following a further bankruptcy, he discover what this might be. moved to Tauranga, where he became a successful and respected farmer and business man. Oth- It is generally asserted that many German ers, like his father-in-law, John Gerkin, settlers into our district came from Hano- often made their first living cutting fire- ver in northern Germany; it is much wood, a thriving and important industry more difficult to track down the town or in the early days of settlement. Some- village in that region from which they times a man obtained the rights to cut tim- came. Death certificates will often tell us ber for firewood and these could be sold the country of origin, but no more, pas- at auction if he fell upon hard times. senger lists can be just as vague as can Henry Ludemann was one of these. Job the knowledge of descendants. Some- security was not always great and an ever times a stroke of luck will solve the prob- present danger for the woodsmen was that lem, as was the case with Henry Meyen- of fire, which on one terrible occasion berg, whose birthplace was not entered destroyed cords of firewood and stacked on any official document except that re- posts when fire swept through the Hoon cording his naturalisation. We know Hay Bush. Henry Schaffer followed an- now that he came from a small town or Julius von Haast other route. At first he worked on roads village, Botsmeerdorf, in Saxony. and then for some years managed a carry- ing business between Christchurch and Oxford. Most German migrants to our district arrived on ships which sailed from English ports. Some even arrived Many of these settlers eventually bought land and took with British wives and so we may suppose that they up farming. Some like John Gerkin ended as substan- travelled to England, often London, for work and lived tial land owners and died relatively wealthy men. Oth- there long enough to meet and marry their life partner. ers, like Frederick Mahnke were small land owners, As many were recorded on passenger lists as labourers who worked as labourers to supplement their incomes. or agricultural workers one has to ask what drove them Nevertheless, whether they were substantial land own- to leave their homeland to work in a foreign environ- ers or not, most were active in community life. Many, ment. Hanover was ruled by the King of England (he including Henry Meyenberg and John Mangels, were was of the House of Hanover) until Queen Victoria as- involved in the administration of their school, their li- cended the throne in 1835, so some at least would have brary, or road boards, while others were interested in been aware of that connection. Germany was in a state the local church or, as the Arnst brothers were, in sport- of transition, military service was often mandatory and ing activities such as cycling or rowing. It was John sometimes a young man could find himself and his Gerkin who first suggested that German settlers should comrades in arms hired out to serve a foreign power, set up a Lutheran Church in Christchurch and who, with especially if he was from the lower classes. With few others, bought land on the corner of Montreal Street and privileges and with little hope of improving their lot the Worcester Street for that purpose. Besides John Gerkin urge to immigrate would be a powerful one; they would other Germans from our district involved with the Ger- ….. concluded on page 2 Page 2 …… continued from page 1 record. A search of Papers Past often reveals details of their interests, albeit sometimes trivial. The Deeds man Church, as it came to be called, were Wilhelm books of the 19th century held by Archives New Zea- Ellmers, Karl Magon and John Tobeck. The church’s land in Peterborough Street contain a wealth of detail early history was a difficult one and when it was sold regarding land they bought and sold, copies of church at auction, because of arrears in meeting mortgage records held by the Christchurch library offer family repayments, it was John Gerkin whose successful bid details and birth, death and marriage certificates can returned ownership to the struggling congregation. be tracked down through Internal Affairs. Details pro- vided by these public sources make it clear that these Although it is not always easy to get information di- German migrants, most of humble origin, contributed rectly relating to these first German migrants, it is sur- significantly to the development of our district and in prising how much can be retrieved from the public the broadest sense to Canterbury and New Zealand. The Libraries of Lincoln - Margaret Hannan The desire for a community library is almost as old as Lincoln itself. After some abortive efforts, a public meeting in 1873 resolved to establish a Lincoln li- brary. William Tod deeded 32 perches to "the inhabit- ants of the Lincoln School District for the purposes of a library and reading room”. The site was opposite the school and next to the Presbyterian Church, where Liffey Cottage now stands. A working committee was established, then a combination of subscriptions and fund-raising qualified the project for a subsidy from the Provincial Government Library Fund. In July 1874 the library opened for business; the first of four to have served the community since that time. Coronation Library Pioneer Hall The closing decade of the twentieth century saw a move to an even more central location. The Friends of the Library successfully lobbied Selwyn District Council to relocate the library to the obsolete Post Of- fice building in Gerald Street, as Coronation was cramped, dark and cold. In 1900 a more central site was deemed desirable. The building was moved to public land on the western side of the L1 next to the bridge, where it still sits, Old Post Office becomes the Library known as Pioneer Hall photographic gallery. Barely more than a decade later, the as yet unrealised desire Almost 140 years after the opening of the first library, for a reading room occasioned a public meeting to Mayor Kelvin Coe officially opened the new, purpose- raise funds for this project, and to gain support for built, Lincoln Library and Service Centre on 8 Febru- seeking a Government subsidy to build the reading ary 2014. In 1911 Heaton Rhodes said that there room as a memorial of George V's coronation in 1911. would always be a demand for books, and as long as Upon investigation, however, local MP Heaton that demand existed libraries would be wanted. He Rhodes reported that only new buildings qualified for also believed that Lincoln would eventually become a the subsidy. The decision was taken, therefore, to town, at which time a larger and more elaborate build- build Coronation Library on the opposite side of the ing, in keeping with the importance of the centre, L1 (now Down by the Liffey Gallery). Heaton would be built. His prediction has at last come true, Rhodes officially opened the new library on 21 April and the wider Lincoln community is demonstrating 1912; in the evening a celebratory concert and dance that libraries, and books as well as electronic sources, was held in the Druids' Hall, which occupied the site are indeed still wanted. where the 2014 library stands. Page 3 While the 'mission' of the library has remained much the same over time, there are also some marked differences. Field Trip The original library cost approximately £200 and its area was 27 square metres; Coronation Library cost nearly £215 pounds and its area was 44 square metres. The new library came in on budget at $3.7million and is 700 square metres in area. Sunday, 27th April Ferrymead Heritage Park Military Display Seniors $23 Adults $30 To celebrate 100 years since the outbreak of World War I, Ferrymead Heritage Park will be transformed into a wartime era township. There will be displays of military vehicles, weapons, photos, decorations and uniforms, a walkthrough replica Anderson air raid shelter, a themed troop train and military art and Present Lincoln Library model competitions.