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Westgarth, William, 1815-1889

"Personal Recollections of Early Melbourne and Victoria"

My late esteemed friend, Mr. Otto Neuhauss, himself one of the
emigrating throng, although not of the very first party, gave me, from
his complete mastery of English, most material help in managing their
affairs. I had afterwards the pleasant duty of recommending him to our
first Colonial Secretary, Captain Lonsdale, for a Justiceship of the
Peace, to the great satisfaction and convenience of his co-emigrant
countrymen. I am under much like obligation also to Mr. Brahe, who long
acted, and I hope still acts, as a solicitor amongst the Germans.
But the grand prize for these Germans was the acquisition of land.
Accordingly Captain Stanley Carr (then on a visit with the German Prince
of Schleswig-Holstein) and myself took up, in trust for such Germans as
desired it, and had the means of payment, one of the square miles of
surveyed land, as yet unapplied for, about twelve miles north of
Melbourne, which was divided amongst them in lots as agreed upon. And
there they are to this day, a thriving community. When, in company with
Neuhauss, my wife and I visited them in 1857, just before finally
quitting the colony, we found considerable progress in the form of a
scattered village, with a little Lutheran church, and some show of
gardening and cultivation.


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