User:Jmwecker/Frederick Wecker

Frederick Wecker

Life Line

Born Germany February 1828, the son of Michael & Catherine Wecker (nee Henrich). Frederick was the middle child of three boys, the eldest George (Born in 1828) and John Frederick born circa 1830 Died Brisbane 1909 (aged years)

Frederick was thought to have travelled to Australia on the Johann Caesar in 1855, with his following in subsequent years (George in 1856 and John Frederick with his wife Rosina in 1862), with George settling in the Darling Downs around Meringandan / Highfields and John Frederick and Rosina in Brisbane.

Frederick, at the age of 31 years married Katherine Glindemann on 13th April 1857.

Katherine Glindemann was born circa 1830 and was the daughter of Christian Glindemann and Dorathea Jager. Together Frederick and Katherine had one child, Maria Wecker b. 7 October 1857, but she unfortunately died three days later on the 10th October. Katherine died in 1888 and was buried on 19th March in the Balmoral Cemetery.

The house keeper, Auguste Freidricke Emma Glindemann b. 1860, Katherine's niece, married Frederick in 1983 at the age of 33.

The couple had no recorded children.

Emma Wecker lived in Brisbane up to the age of 79 in 1940 and was buried with Frederick, Katherine and possibly another supposed relative M M Younker/Yonker died 1895 aged 71.

Wecker Farm

Frederick purchased 46 acres of land on December 29, 1857 which covered the areas now bounded by Pembroke, Old Cleveland Roads, Rialto and Cornwall Streets. He proceeded to build a magnificent home in a prominent western facing position approximately where Kirkland Avenue bends. A photo of the house (fig 1??) is believe to be in the possession of Villanova College, a reproduction of which appeared in the publication my Michael Endicott - Coorparoo, A Retrospective.

He purchased further adjoining lands, east of his original purchase, as they came up for sale.

It appears that he subdivided much of the property for sale in 1898 with a number of maps held in the State Library of Queensland showing the Wecker Estate. One of the maps still shows the exact location of the original homestead.

Wecker Street was the main road to the Wecker Homestead rising from Old Cleveland Road, and was renamed by the Coorparoo Shire Council in 1916, to Kirkland Avenue, during a period of anti-German sentiment, even though Frederick Wecker had lived in Australia for the majority of his life, and was a citizen of the British empire.

The farm

Mt Gravatt At some point, Frederick and Emma sold the Homestead at Coorparoo and moved to a newly built home, "Strasburg" on what is now known as Wecker Road in Mansfield. A number of articles in "The Figaro" mention birthday parties at the homestead - which was sold for removal in 1912, which states it was about 6 years old at the time. Frederick died on 5 February 1909, and Emma continued to live at "Strasburg" until its sale.

Emma Wecker Emma managed to stay at Strasburg until she moved away - with her next known address being the corner of Tingal Road and Glenora Street at the time of her death. It appears that this was a shop with her residence above, with the shop being occupied by a Butcher for many years. Records show she was embroiled in a court case with Queensland Pastoral Supplies over a Freezing unit which did not live up to the promises made by the suppliers - a case which she won.

Estate of Emma Wecker Within the Wecker family, it was often mentioned that the monies of Frederick and Emma Wecker were sent back to Germany to support the war, a fabrication with is proven incorrect by the granting of probate to the pastors of the South Brisbane Lutheran Church upon Emma's death. Both Frederick and Emma had been very long-term supporters of the church, and their bequest supports this feeling. They held many functions for the church in its early years, including a fete at their Coorparoo home in 18th February in 1872 (picture)

Community Frederick Wecker was a strong supporter of the local community, and it was in his home on March 22 1875 that a meeting of local citizens agreed to pressure the Education Department to setup a State School named Coorparoo for their district. The name Coorparoo came from the name of Coorparoo Creek, a seasonal watercourse with its source near the corner of Lade Street and Chatsworth Road, running along the property boundary (now Pembroke Road), across Old Cleveland Road towards Harries Road and Barnes Avenue, and joined Norman Creek near Stanley Bridge.

On October 22, 1885, Frederick Wecker sold part of his farm, including the present St James Church Property amongst other allotments to Thomas Howling.

Bulimba Board Frederick Wecker served as an elected member of the Bulimba Board for many years

South Brisbane Lutheran Church

Coorparoo State School

The council responsible for the renaming of many of the streets in the region

Agriculture: Dairy / Vineyards / Exhibition

Emmigration

History in Queensland

Legacy