Fighting our cousins: Lilydale in World War 1
Early settlers to the Lilydale district included a number of families who had emigrated under the bounty scheme from Germany. After having worked their bounty for their sponsors, they took the opportunity to purchase newly opened land in Upper Piper, the original name for Lilydale. The developing centre became known as Germantown, for obvious reasons.
The German families were hard working and very civic-minded. They became integral to the local community through involvement in churches, local justice, commerce and sporting clubs. By the time of World War 1 there were still some original German-born settlers living in Lilydale, along with a very large number of their children and grandchildren. With names like Sulzberger, Wolfe, Oestreich, Wachtershauser, Marx, Mahnken, Bardenhagen, Erb, Staubi, Muller and Dornauf, there was potential for conflict to erupt between those who identified themselves being of German heritage and the predominantly Australian born residents in the region.
There was no conflict in Lilydale. There was conflict in other locations with German families, but not in Lilydale.
Heritage Lilydale explores this fascinating story, using as its basis, the research work undertaken by the late Dr Marita Bardenhagen.
The German families were hard working and very civic-minded. They became integral to the local community through involvement in churches, local justice, commerce and sporting clubs. By the time of World War 1 there were still some original German-born settlers living in Lilydale, along with a very large number of their children and grandchildren. With names like Sulzberger, Wolfe, Oestreich, Wachtershauser, Marx, Mahnken, Bardenhagen, Erb, Staubi, Muller and Dornauf, there was potential for conflict to erupt between those who identified themselves being of German heritage and the predominantly Australian born residents in the region.
There was no conflict in Lilydale. There was conflict in other locations with German families, but not in Lilydale.
Heritage Lilydale explores this fascinating story, using as its basis, the research work undertaken by the late Dr Marita Bardenhagen.
Those who made the ultimate sacrifice.