Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher

Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher

Male Abt 1860 - 1928  (~ 67 years)

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  • Name Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher 
    • Sometime before the first World War, Wilhelm and Wilhelmina changed their and their children's surname from Bottcher to Burcher. I assume this was because Germans would not have been really popular around the time of the first world War. Wilhelm also changed his Christian name to William.
    • Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher was born in December 1860 Prenzlou, Kleinow Province, Brandenburg State, Prussia. His father was Christian Bottcher who was a boilermaker and his mother was Christina (or Freda) Reibow. He married Wilhelmina Louise Christine Dahn on the 18th Nov 1881 in Blankenburg, near Berlin,in Brandenburg, Prussia.
    Nickname William 
    Birth Abt Dec 1860  Kleinow, Brandenburg, Prussia, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Immigration 22 Aug 1887  Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Wilhelm, Wilhelmina and their 4 children Marie (Mary), Hans (John), Wilhelm (William) and infant Rudolph left their home in Prussia and journeyed to England where they stayed for a short period as new born baby Rudolph got sick. They sailed from England to Australia aboard the Bulimba. The Bulimba was a 2510 gross ton ship, length 96.26m x beam 11.64m, one funnel, two masts, 11 knot single screw steamer built in 1881 by A & J Inglis, Glasgow for the British India Steam Navigation Co.
    The Bulimba left Gravesend England on the 28th June 1887 at 5pm and travelled via Malta to Port Said, Port Said. They continued their journey through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea. At the southern end of the Red Sea the Bulimba stopped a, then continued to Point de Galle. Galle is situated on the south western tip of Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon. Then continuing across the Indian Ocean, sailed through the Sundra Straits and at 11.50pm on 2nd August arrived at Tandjock Prior Harbour, near Jakarta. The ship observed strict quarantine and finished coaling at 4am on the 4th August.
    The journey was continued on to Thursday Island and down the east coast of Australia via the ports of Cooktown, Townsville, Mackay, Bowen and Rockhampton. Finally arriving at their destination of Brisbane Queensland, on 22nd August 1887.
    Immigrants arriving in 1887 most likely would have gone to the newly opened Immigration Depot at Kangaroo Point, which replaced the old barracks at William Street.
    Wilhelm and his family immigrated to Australia as "Free Nominees" which means that someone who already was an Australian citizen would have nominated them to immigrate by obtaining a passage warrant from the
    Government, as at the time Australia was looking for new workers. The warrant was then forwarded to the relative or friends in Europe and their passage would then be arranged by a representative in the respective country.
    Whether, there was a family member already here or a firm nominated them is still unknown and will most likely never be found out as in 1898 the Brisbane River Flooded destroying the majority of government records and the list of Free Nomior this period was destroyed.
    They first stayed at Albion which was then situated in the Caboolture district, approx 5km from the now Brisbane central business district. Later they lived on a dairy farm in the Ipswich area.

     




    The Brisbane Courier Newspaper - Monday, August 22, 1887
    The Brisbane Courier Newspaper - Monday, August 22, 1887
    This is a PDF copy of the newspaper printed on the day that Wilhelm, Wilhemina and their young family arrived in Brisbane aboard the ship "RMS Bulimba". A mention of the ships arrival is listed on page 4 column 1. Details of the voyage can be found in the following days edition of the news paper which is also attached to this page.
    Read about…
    The Brisbane Courier Newspaper, Tuesday, August 23, 1887
    The Brisbane Courier Newspaper, Tuesday, August 23, 1887
    This Pdf copy of the newspaper has the voyage of the RMS Bulimba printed on page 4 Column 1 (arrival) and page 4 column 3 (the voyage). It describes the journey from England to Brisbane. Read the newspaper and get a feel what Brisbane was like in 1887.
    Queensland Assisted Immigration 1848-1912 - Ship Bulimba - Passengers Wilhelm Bottcher and Family.
    Queensland Assisted Immigration 1848-1912 - Ship Bulimba - Passengers Wilhelm Bottcher and Family.
    Wilhelm, accompanied by his wife Wilhelmine, children Marie, Hans, Wilhelm and Rudolph, sailed from London, England, aboard the ship Bulimba, departing 28th June 1887 and arrived at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on 22nd August 1887.
    Assisted Immigration 1848- 1912 - Ship Bulimba
    Assisted Immigration 1848- 1912 - Ship Bulimba
    This is the full passenger list of the Ship Bulimba including all its 1887 voyages from London England to Brisbane Queensland, Australia. The voyage that included Wilhelm Bottcher and his family, 28th June 1887 to 22 August 1887 starts on page 198 of the register and the family are located on page 212.
    Naturalization 18 Dec 1894  Government House, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Wilhelm Was granted all the rights and capacities within the said Colony of New South Wales of a natural born British Subject. 

    Certificate of Naturalization
    Certificate of Naturalization
    A copy of the Certificate of Naturalization granted to Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher.
    Death 12 Feb 1928  Liverpool Hospital, N.S.W, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Death Certificate
    Death Certificate
    Death certificate of Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher

    Burial 14 Feb 1928  Church of England Cemetary, Liverpool, NSW,Australia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I2433  Tucker Family Tree | Bottcher family tree
    Last Modified 2 Aug 2022 

    Father Christian Bottcher 
    Mother Freda Riebow 
    Family ID F2621  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Wilhelmina Louise Christine Dahn,   b. Abt 1860, new berlin, Germany Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Mar 1904, Brown Street, St Peters, Sydney, NSW, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 44 years) 
    Marriage 18 Nov 1881  Blankenburg, New Berlin, Prussia, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. Marie Christine Louise Bottcher,   b. 20 Aug 1881, Berlin, Prussia, Germany Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 8 Mar 1964, 7 Belgium St Riverwood, NSW, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 82 years)
    +2. Hans Fredrick Carl Bottcher,   b. 27 Jan 1884, Angermunde,Prussia, Germany Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 27 May 1955, 88 Baptist St Redfern, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 71 years)
    +3. Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher,   b. 20 Nov 1885, Prussia, Germany Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 7 Sep 1962, 24 Bayley St, Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years)
     4. Rudolph George Bottcher,   b. Abt 1887, Kleinow, Prussia, Germany Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 13 Dec 1974, Kogarah Endeavour Nursing Home, Kogarah, New South Wales Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 87 years)
     5. Annie Bottcher,   b. 9 Nov 1888, Albion, Queensland, Australia Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 Sep 1897, Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 8 years)
     6. Baby Boy Bottcher,   b. 1889 - 1892
    +7. Frederick William Bottcher,   b. 20 Jul 1892, 8 Campbell St Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia. Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Jan 1979, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 86 years)
    +8. Wilhelmina Augusta Bottcher,   b. 26 Nov 1894, 1 Park Street, Camperdown, Erskinville, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Dec 1964, Sans Souci, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years)
    +9. Eva May Butcher,   b. 16 Sep 1897, 8 Campbell St Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia. Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 22 Sep 1963, 12 Napoleon St Sans Souci, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 66 years)
    +10. Rita Martha Bottcher,   b. 18 Nov 1900, 1 Crown Street, St Peters, Sydney New South Wales Australia Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 May 1993, Sydney,New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 92 years)
    +11. Albert Edward Butcher,   b. 9 Nov 1902, 8 Campbell St, Alexandria, Sydney, New South Wales Australia Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 12 Sep 1977, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 74 years)
     12. Cleopatra Alexandra Bottcher,   b. 28 Mar 1904, 1 Brown St, St Peters, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 6 May 1904, St Peters, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
    Family ID F0700  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 8 Mar 2009 

    Family 2 Adelaide Mary Foran,   b. 09 Nov 1873, Kings Creek, Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 23 Apr 1958, Wynleigh Private Hospital, Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 84 years) 
    Marriage 3 Jul 1909  Congregational Church, Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. A.A. Botcher
    Family ID F1952  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 27 Jul 2008 

  • Photos
    Wilhelm August Christian Boettcher
    Wilhelm August Christian Boettcher
    Wilhelm August Christian Boettcher
    Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher
    Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher
    Wilhelm August Christian Bottcher
    At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
    At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

  • Notes 
    • Death Certificate Registration number 1928/003716.
      I found out that the family (Wilhelm, Wilhelmina with Mary 5y.John 3y,
      William 1y. and Rudolph - infant) have arrived as "free nominees" on the
      "Bullimba" ship on the 22nd of Aug. 1887.
      Free nominees means, that somebody nominated them who were Australian
      citizens already. Now there were "Bottchers" in Brisbane already by 1890,
      but I could not link them so far. A prospective company could have been
      nominating them as well, promising work- in that case the immigrants usually
      had a kind of a contract to stay in the original state as they arrived in
      for about 3 years. It would be good to find out who nominated them.


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