Peter Binger of Australia

Peter Binger of Australia

CLICK to trace the ancestors of Peter Binger

The Story of Peter Binger (*1833, +1927)

Note: The Binger chapter is in the early stages of being written. It does not yet have stories, anecdotal stuff and pictures. And many of the descendants of Peter and Margarethe.

We have just (2013) discovered Peter Binger (*16.06.1833 Laubenheim, +07.03.1927 Wellington Point QLD) and documentation of his emigration to Queensland (QLD), Australia. Peter was the son of Anton Binger (10.03.1805 Laubenheim) and Sophia Schembs (*1803 Laubenheim). We are now working with the descendants of Peter and Margarethe Amelia Kundel Binger (*1832 Germany, +25.05.1889 Wellington Point) to tell the story of the Bingers. Margarethe was the daughter of Georg and Elizabeth Mehlmann Kundel. A German genealogy source (GEDBAS) indicates that Margarethe Kundel Binger, Peter's wife, died 25 May 1889 in "Australien-Badgen Wellington". The cause of death is listed as heart disease. It turns out that Badgen was the name given to the area where the Bingers settled in Wellington Point, Queensland about 30 Km southeast of Brisbane. Badgen is not the name of a town but rather an area. She is buried in the Cleveland Cemetery, Redland Shire, Queensland, just a little south of Brisbane.

The Susanne Godeffroy

Peter, Margarethe and their son Georg Friedrich (*1863), an infant, sailed on 22 September 1863 to Australia on the Susanne Godeffroy under the command of Captain Muller, arriving in Brisbane on 17 January 1864. Their first son Anton (*1862) had already died before they emigrated. Georg Friedrich was eight months old and had spent half of that time on the oceans. He was to die less than a year after arriving in Australia. In all there were 369 German emigrants onboard, all of whom disembarded at Brisbane. There were apparently other Laubenheim families. More research is required to validate and elaborate on this. The Immigration Index lists the Bingers. It then links to the Passenger List of the Godeffroy with the original entry for the Bingers. The voyage was not without problems. Click to read the very interesting article from the Brisbane newspaper The Courier on 19 January 1864, two days after their arrival in Brisbane. She then sailed on 5 February with part of her German cargo (but no passengers) for Sydney. An advertisement was placed in the Sydney Morning Herald, announcing her arrival and the Captain's disclaimer, undoubtedly standard operating procedure for the time. A year later, in 1865, the Susanne Godeffroy brought another load of German emigrants to Australia. A little more on the Susanne Godeffroy. She was a wooden bark, a cargo ship, 61.9 meters in length and 10.9 meters wide. Her propulsion was sails. This was probably her first (major) voyage, as she was built in 1863 and registered at Sydney. On 28 September 1880, when she was only 17, she ran aground soon after embarking on a voyage from Newcastle to Yokohama (Japan) with a cargo of 600-700 tons of coal and crew of 21, 7 of whom died.


Map showing Queensland State and Brisbane	Greater Brisbane Area and Wellington Point click to enlarge

Peter Binger Obituary
click to enlarge

It is interesting to reflect upon the timing of the emigration -- 1863. Amerika was into the third year of its bloody Civil War. Immigration from Europe had dried up. Yet Europeans (and Germans) were still anxious to emigrate from Europe. So Peter and Margarethe decided to go to Australia. They are the only family members of whom we are aware who emigrated to Australia. But likely over time we will discover more although not with the Schömbs, Schoembs or Schembs surnames. And a bit on the history of Brisbane and the area is enlightening. During the 1860's Queensland was experiencing tremendous immigration. According to the Queensland Historical Atlas the population of the state increased from 28,000 in 1860 to 74,000 in 1864 and 115,000 in 1870! Follows are some comments from a Queensland historian who has helped with our search: In relation to German immigration: Queensland had an emigration agent in Germany specifically recruiting Germans to come here and extablish farms. Queensland only formed as a separate state in 1859. And: It is interesting how the American situation impacted on Australia. Cotton was grown here in Queensland to supply the Manchester mills in England because America was unable to do so. The Civil War had interupted the supply. Sadly some farmers took the oppotunity to exploit indentured South Sea Islander labour to work their farms - not dissimilar to the freedom from slavery being fought for in America.[1] Upon arrival in Queensland, the Bingers initially settled in Brisbane. Records indicate that Peter was a tailer (Schneider). After some period of time they moved from Brisbane to Wellington Point, a rural area about thirty kilometers to the southeast. Here they farmed. The Family Record Sheet for Peter Binger indicates that Friederich died 6.12.1864, eleven months after their arrival in Cleveland. Cleveland was a town immediately to the south of Wellington Point. If this is correct, then they must have left Brisbane almost immediately for the Wellington Point area. And when it says Friedrich died in Cleveland it could mean Wellington Point. On the Queensland Archives website is an "Index to Land Orders 1861-1874" which lists Peter and Margaretha in 1864. I do not know what this refers to but further research might turn up something interesting. Perhaps it just deals with immigration. The Bingers, like all the Schembs of Laubenheim, were Catholics. Sometime after settling in Australia they converted to the Church of England. Peter Binger died 7 March 1927 at the age of 93 of heart failure. His obituary gives a glimpse into his life. At the time of his death Peter lived on Collingwood Road. In her Wellington Point History, Mary Howells gives the exact location of the Binger farm. Peter was buried at the Cleveland Cemetery. Most of the events and places in the story of the Bingers occured in the state of Queensland (QSL). Where this is not the case the state is identified -- New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC).

Descendants of Peter Binger

The voter registration rolls have been very helpful in following the migration of Peter's descendants, mostly in the Brisbane area but not exclusively. They are cited frequently in the story which follows and are available online through Ancestry.com. Many of the vital statistics (e.g. exact dates) have come from the Family Record Sheets for Peter, John William and James Henry. The Family Record Sheets were prepared by ......??

Children: (9)

9.1.....Friedrich Binger (*07.09.1859 Laubenheim, +bef 1864 Laubenheim)

From FamilySearch.org we know of the birth of Friedrich Binger. Apparently he died prior to emigration as he does not appear on the passenger list with his parents.

9.2.....Anton Binger (*18.4.1862 Laubenheim, +bef 1864 Laubenheim)

We do not have a record of the death of Anton. However, he did not emigrate with his parents when he would have been 1 year old. Clearly he must have died as an infant.

9.3.....Georg Friedrich Binger (*17.5.1863 Laubenheim, +6.12.1864 Cleveland QLD)

Georg passed away soon after they arrived in Australia. His death is recorded in the Queensland register.

9.4.....Elizabeth Sophia Binger (*20.03.1865, +1949 QLD)

On 26.06.1897 Elizabeth Binger and Nathaniel Sargeant (*1865, +1945 QLD) were married. Nathaniel was the son of John and Louisa Salt Sargeant. There are no records of children being born to them in Queensland.

9.5.....John William Binger (*22.07.1866, +20.10.1953 Cleveland)

Sarah Ervine/Elvin (center) with her sister Elizabeth and brother-in-law John Brown
Photo taken soon after arrival of Sarah in Queensland. Elizabeth and John were married in Qld in 1882

On 18 April 1894 John married Sarah Ervine. Sarah was born Sarah Elvin (*23.04.1864 Cloghan, County Donegal, Ireland; +25.6.1915 Wellington Point), the daughter of James and Jane Hume Elvin. She was baptised nine days later on 2 May 1864 in Stranolar (nearby??). It should be noted that in Australia Sarah's surname was written as Ervine, not Elvin. This change appears to have been made at immigration into Australia, whether by design or not is not known. (Originally I had her birthdate as 1870. Why six years difference? Seems like a lot. see if I can reconcile.)

Sarah was preceded in her emigration by her sister Elizabeth (*1853, +1940) and brother Samuel (*1857, +1905), both older. They had emigrated in 1880 on the Windsor Castle, landing in ...... on ...... (Elizabeth Elvin married John Brown in 1882 in Qld, see record. Don't find a marriage for Samuel Elvin (*1857) but do find one for Samuel William Elvin in 1913, could be Samuel's (*1857) son.

Sarah sailed on the ship Hannah Landels on the ....... of August, 1883 from Glasgow, Scotland. They landed in Mackay, Queensland on 11 Sep 1883. Whether she emigrated alone or with friends is not known. There were no other Elvins on the passenger list.

John and Sarah lived in Wellington Point where John William farmed. We know this from the voting rolls of 1903, 1905, 1908 and 1913. Yet the Family Record Sheet for John William says that he too was a Schneider (tailor).

Shortly thereafter John's wife Sarah passed away at the age of 45. The date was 20.06.1915. We can see that John continued farming in Wellington Point -- 1925 and 1936. In his later years John William moved into a home for the elderly, St. John's Home, on Orchard Street in Toowong, west of Brisbane. He died in 1953 and too is buried in the cemetery in Cleveland.

Children: (3)

3.1.....James Henry Binger (*18.03.1896 Wellington Point, +24.10.1950 Wellington Point)

On 27 April 1916 J.H. signed his enlistment papers for the Australian Imperial Force to fight in World War I. He was twenty years old and assigned to the 26th Battalion. Six months later he shipped out from Brisbane on HMAT A36 "Boonah". A year later in the 15 December 1917 edition of the Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, QLD), he was listed as a casualty. The extent of his injuries is not known but the list of casualties is long. Many apparently were victims of gas warfare but J.H.'s name does not indicate "gas" as others do. As such he was likely fighting in France or the low countries.

James returned from the war and was married in 1921 to Thirza Adeline Skinner (*28.10.1897, +1971). Thirza was the daughter of John and Sara Jane Smith Skinner. In 1925 and again in 1936 James and Thirza were living in Wellington Point. James was a labourer.

James's funeral was 26 October 1950. The notice of the service appeared in The Courier-Mail (Brisbane) the same day. The notice mentions Binger (Mudgee, N.S.W.) and J. Binger (South Yarra, Melbourne). At the time of his death James Henry and Thirza were living on Edith Street in Wellington Point. Thirza lived out her life in Wellington Point as shown in the 1963 election rolls. They too are buried in Cleveland.

Three letters written by James Henry to his sons are interesting to read. They were written within the last year of his life. They were passed along by Uncle Ron (*1927) to Jacqueline "Jacky" Binger Cramb. Click here to read them.

Children: (2)

2.1.....John "Jack" Francis Binger (*30.10.1922 Brisbane, 03.03.1962 Melbourne)


Jack Binger (*1922) Click to enlarge	Jack in New Guinea Click to enlarge	Jack and Bonnie, 1951 Click to enlarge

Jack was in the Army, serving Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea for about two years. At the end of the War he returned to Australia, The family has photographs from several places in Australia during this period. It is not known whether he was looking for work or why he was moving around. He settled in South Yarra, Victoria (VIC). He married six years after the end of the War.

Jack on 3 March 1951 married Yvonne Jean "Bonnie" Beaton (*28.09.1928 Melbourne, +Oct 2011 Melbourne). Jack was a truck driver for TNT driving over-the-road trucks in Victoria. Bonnie enjoyed working with crafts and cooking. She would decorate cakes for others. After Jack's death Bonnie worked in various jobs, then she started fostering children. Eventually she became guardian of Nicky, a down syndrone Greek child. Later Suzanne (*1956) assumed the responsibility for Nicky.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Jacqueline Dianne "Jacky" Binger (*1952 Melbourne)

Jack passed away when Jacky was eleven. Bonnie went to work. Jacky was the oldest of the four children and had to assume some parenting responsibilities for her younger siblings.

Jacky met Robert Anderson "Rob" Cramb (*1951 Melbourne) in high school. They both had lost their fathers as children. They started dating and went to their respective Universities. Jacky studied physiotherapy and Rob's degree was in agricultural science. They were married 16 Dec 1972 in Melbourne. Rob went on for his masters degree and Jacky worked at the Royal Children's hospital in Melbourne and later the Queen Victoria Hospital working with children in physiotherapy.

Following Rob's masters degree they went to Kuching in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia. Jacky worked in the Sarawak General Hospital and Rob in the agricultural planning department of the state government. After moving back to Melbourne they returned to Sarawak for a third term. They adopted their first child while there.


Jacky and Jack Click to enlarge	Rob and Jacky, 1972 Click to enlarge	Jacky, Dave, Jen and Rob, 2012 Click to enlarge

Rob completed his Phd leading to a move to Brisbane and a career in university teaching and research. Meanwhile Jacky specialized in pediatric physiotherapy with an interest in hydrotherapy - use of of a pool for therapy. Rob's work has included projects in Southeast Asia - Laos, Cambodia, The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Their sabbaticals have taken them to the U.K., Canada and United States.

Jacky and Rob hiked in 2021 in the Carnarvon-Schlucht
in Central-Queensland. An escape during the Covid 19
pandemic, in which Australia performed exceptionally well.
Click to enlarge

Children: (2)

2.1.....Jennifer Edith Cramb (*1982 Kuching Malaysia)

Josh, Jen and Nate, 2012
Click to enlarge

Jen was adopted on her first day on Earth. She is athletic and intelligent with a strong will. She married Mathew Trede (*Aug 1978 Brisbane) in 2002. They subsequently divorced. She loves working with chlldren and is a wonderful mother.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Joshua James Mathew Trede (*2001 Brisbane)

2.2.....Nathan Trede (*2003 Brisbane)

2.2.....David Seong Cheol Cramb (*1986 Seoul South Korea)

Dave and Bee, 2015
Click to enlarge

David was adopted when he was four months old. He is an outstanding swimmer and rugby player. He studied business management and works for a consulting firm in urban development.

The wedding of David to Bianca "Bee" Duncan (*1988 Brisbane) was celebrated on the 12th September 2015 with a ceremony at 'the Powerhouse' New Farm followed by a reception at The Foxy Bean at Woolongabba. It was a great occasion with family coming from Melbourne and a reunion of old school friends. The happy couple spent a week at Byron Bay. Bee's degree is in marketing and has been working in corporate sponsorship.


Nate and Jen, 2015 Click to enlarge	Rob, Nate, David, Josh and Jacky Click to enlarge	Rod, Deb, Jacky and Sue, 2015 Click to enlarge

4.2.....Rodney John Binger (*1953 Melbourne)

Gill, Tara, Katrina and Rod, 2012
Click to enlarge

Rod has a diploma in agricultural science. His career has been in small business management. He enjoys carpentry and building various things. Rod and Gill Clements (*1954 Melbourne) were married in Melbourne in 1977. Gill taught and is now a principal of a primary school.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Katrina Jean Binger (*1982 Melbourne)

Katrina has received her Phd in Biomedical Science. She presently works in a laboratory in Erlangen Germany near Berlin.

2.2.....Tara Elizabeth Binger (*1986 Melbourne)

Tara is a primary school teacher. She and Glen Barry, a professional photographer, were married in 2012. They live in Melbourne.


Suzanne, Rod, Debra and Jacky, 1958 Click to enlarge	Debra, Suzanne, Jacky and Rod, circa 1962 Click to enlarge	Debra, Jacky, Suzanne and Rod, 1963 Click to enlarge	Rod, Suzanne, Debra and Jacky, 2012 Click to enlarge

4.3.....Suzanne Frances Binger (*1956 Melbourne)

Nicky and Suzanne, 2014
Click to enlarge

Suzanne is a science teacher and a deputy principal in a secondary school in Melboune. She enjoys handicrafts and is the guardian of Nicky. She is a board member of a non-profit center for disabled adults. Suzanne cared for her mother Bonnie in Bonnie's later years.

4.4.....Debra Leanne Binger (*1958 Melbourne)

Debra married Warwick Rae in Melbourne in 1984. They moved to Southport in the Gold Coast soon after. She too is a teacher, specializing in high school mathematics. She and Warwick divorced.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Christopher Rae (*1986 Southport QLD)

Chris is seriously into computers with a degree in electronics. He works for ABB, a large Swiss company, at large mining sites in Queensland.

2.2.....Daniel Rae (*1989 Southport QLD)

Daniel has a degree in pharmacy. He and Gail married in 2012.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Michael Rae (*March 2016)

2.2.....Ronald James Binger (*1927 Brisbane, +27.06.2002 Ipswich QLD)

Ronald married Eileen Patricia Buckholtz (+1979 NSW) in Chatswood, N.S.W. in 1948. The wedding was in Chatswood, a town just to the north of Sydney. A year later they were living in Mudgee NSW, a town about 200 Km to the northwest of Sydney. They lived at 4 Gladstone Street. Ronald was in the Australian military and undoubtedly served during World War II.

At the time of his death Ronald lived in Brassal, a town to the southwest of Brisbane.

Eileen was the daughter of Rowland Oscar and Mary Caroline Buckholtz.

Children: (4)

4.1.....John Binger

4.2.....Patricia Binger

Children: (3)

3.1.....Michele

3.2.....Gregory

3.3.....Steven

4.3.....Robyn Binger

married Benowich.

4.4.....Elizabeth Binger

3.2.....Elizabeth Irene "Renee" Binger (*06.10.1897)

On 8 November 1924 Elizabeth Irene married John Miller from Bundamba. There is no record of them having children in Queensland. It is strange that she appears in the election rolls in 1925 in Wellington Point under her maiden name. No explanation is available at this time. There is no civil record of her death under either Binger or Miller in Queensland.

3.3.....Sarah "Violet" Binger (*30.08.1901, +1981)

Sarah "Violet" never married. She lived in Wellington Point into the middle 1930s and perhaps a little longer. By 1943 she had moved to Kelvin Grove, a town on the northwest side of Brisbane. She lived at 11 Windsor Road in Red Hill. She was not employed. No other Bingers registered to vote in Kelvin Grove. Then a few years later in 1949 she lived in Auchenflower due west of Brisbane. Again she appears to be living with no other family members, although she was near John William, her father.

After John William passed away in 1953 Violet lived a little longer in the area, then moved to Chermside on the north side of Brisbane. By 1972 she had moved to Manly, a town just to the west of Wellington Point where she lived for a while before moving back to Chermside before 1980. Violet died in 1981.

9.6.....Peter Binger (*1.12.1867, +18.10.1911)

Peter married Gertrude Diezmann (*1875) on 22 December 1898. Gertrude's parents were Adam and Elizabeth Poile Diezmann. She had brothers Gustav and Morita and a sister Anna Maude. Moritz had sons William Mervin (*1905) and Otto Isaac (*1904).

Gertrude had a daughter Lydia (*1896) apparently born out of wedlock. It is not known if Peter was the father. They apparently had no children after they were married.

In 1908 Peter and Lydia were living in Breakfast Creek, just to the north of Fortitude Valley and Brisbane on the Brisbane River. Peter was a drayman. He died three years later at the age of 44.

9.7.....Frederick Binger (*14.03.1869, +25.06.1948 Brisbane)

Frederick and Winnifred Elizabeth Duffy (*26.03.1885 Parramatta NSW, +01.10.1959 QLD) were married on 14 July 1906. Winifred was the daughter of Thomas Henry Duffy and Sarah Elizabeth Archbold. In 1908 they lived in Coorparoo, just to the southeast of Brisbane.

In 1913 Frederick and Winnifred were living in the Fortitude Valley section of Brisbane, just to the northeast of downtown Brisbane. They lived on Maude Street in the Newstead district where Frederick was a drayman. Winnifred was a housewife. By 1937 they had moved slightly further north to the community of Wooloowin. Living with Frederick Lawrence and Winnifred on Morris Street was apparently a younger Winifred ("Waratak"). She registered to vote, stating her vocation as a waitress. It is unclear who this woman was but she clearly appears to be a Binger.

Children: (6)

6.1.....Frederick Lawrence Binger (*1907, +1977)

While we have no marriage record for Frederick Lawrence it appears that he took a wife by the name of Olive Jean Kean (+1981), the daughter of James and Harriett Matilda Beesley Kean. They appear repeatedly in the voter registration rolls. In 1949 they lived on Amity Point at the north tip of North Stadbroke Island due east from Wellington Point across Raby Bay. Frederick is enumerated as a labourer. Frederick was undoubtedly working on a farm. They were still there in 1954 and 1963.

Frederick died in 1977. Then in 1980 Olive Jean was living in Caboolture, about 50 Km north of Brisbane. She died the following year.

6.2.....Edna Binger (*1908)

Joseph Christian Coulthard (*1896) and Edna were married in 1934. Joseph was the son of James and Mary Krentyer Coulthard. He had siblings John (*1898), Vincent (*1901), James (*1888), Francis (*1892) and Gertrude (*1894).

6.3.....Frederick Binger (*1909, +1909)

6.4.....Peter Binger (*1909, +1909)

Peter and Frederick were twins. Both died as infants, perhaps at birth.

6.5.....Harold Francis Binger (*1911, +1911)

6.6.....Charles Binger (*1912, +1918)

Charles died at the age of 5.

9.8.....Margaret Amelia Binger (*20.10.1870, +1953)

Children: (1)

1.1.....Florence Winnifred Binger (*27.6.1899)

Apparently born out of wedlock. No father is mentioned in the birth register. Florence was married in 1921 to Reginald Robinson. Reginald was probably the son of George and Margaret Ann Francis Robinson. If so, he was born in 1896.

9.9.....Henry Binger (*1.11.1872, +9.11.1875)

Research Findings

The following are various articles and other findings which have not yet been incorporated into the story. In some cases they could be of different Binger families. In some cases they may need to be copied and pasted inth the URL line.

LOOSE ENDS:

In the Queensland Birth database there is a Martha Binger (*1894), born to Heinrich Carl Binger and Karolina Olsson. So far doesn't seem to be same Binger family. Henry and Caroline have a son Charles Valentine who dies in 1902.

Laubenheimers who emigrated to Australia, per Peter Schulz. This list is included here for possible future research. The list is of those who emigrated to Australia but not necessarily to Queensland or settled in Wellington Point.

Australia White Pages

http://www.whitepages.com.au/search/residential

"Wellington Point History" by Mary Howells mentioning Peter Binger

http://www.redland.qld.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/_About_Redlands/History/Our_Suburbs/WellingtonPointlong.pdf

Wellington Point Show, 1891, mentioning Peter Binger

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3526533

Wellington Point State School, 1910

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/19642261

TROVE search results for "wellington point binger"

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=wellington+point+binger

Multiple/Earlier emigration? This Gedbas data suggests that there were multiple emigrants and earlier emigration to Australia. But its accuracy is in question. Willie Duchmann, Hattersheim wduchmann@gmx.de (nicht Verwandten) should be able to clarify this.

Here is a summary of the data:

Queensland OnLine Records The privacy policy for some of the states of Australia is to release births (after 100 years), marriages (75 years) and deaths (30 years). Here is the Link to the Queensland database. In each case select the data field, e.g. Births, then just enter Surname and the first of the year for allowable data, e.g. for Births 1/1/1830:

https://www.bdm.qld.gov.au/IndexSearch/BirIndexQry.m

Giving as of May 2013 the following results for Births:

Giving as of May 2013 the following results for Deaths:

Giving as of May 2013 the following results for Marriages:

And also this Queensland Archives site, including its immigration and passenger list date:

http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx

Direct to the Passenger List Index:

Passenger Lists

Of potential interest, a search of these passenger lists produces no Schömbs, Schoembs or Schembs.

New South Wales (incl. Sydney) OnLine Records

http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/searchHistoricalRecords.htm

Victoria OnLine Records, requiring a nominal charge