Hudson at Murtoa -- Past Links Revealed

The Uhe Family

Information kindly supplied by Kevin Uhe in Perth and Phyllis Uhe in Murtoa.

George Andreas UHE and his wife Dorothea nee KRUGER gave birth to a son Johann Heinrich August UHE on the 2nd of April 1770 at Lautenthal in the scenic Harz Mountains of Hanover. Situated near Goslar, Lautenthal is 50 km S/S/W of Braunsweig in what is now part of West Germany. On the 13th of February 1795, Johann, who was a silver miner, married Christene Friedrike HERALD. Christene was born on the 17th of July 1775 at Lautenthal to Zacharias Friedrich HERALD and his wife, whose maiden name was MAHN. Johann and Christene had a son Johann Heinrich Martin UHE who was born at Lautenthal on the 6th of April 1813. J. H. Martin UHE became a miner like his brothers.

He married his first wife Johanna Juliane Caroline Jaaksch at Lautenthal on the 22nd of April 1838. They had 3 children, Carl in 1838, Johann in 1840 and Johanna in 1842. Tragedy struck Martin in 1844 when his wife died, possibly in child birth. In 1847 he married his second wife, Johanna Dorothe Brand and shortly after they set sail from Bremen on the 25th of October 1848 aboard the George Washington. However during the voyage his wife and a newly born child died, possibly from cholera and they were buried at sea. Also on board was a young lady Anna Maria PAGEL, who was coming to Australia with her Auntie and Uncle. She took an interest in looking after Martin's 3 young children. Anna Maria PAGEL was born on the 26th of February 1828 at Kotzlin, near Kyritz in the province of Brandenburg. Kotzlin today is in East Germany, about 80 km north west of Berlin. Rumour has it that Anna was running away from home, as her parents wanted her to marry an old widower who lived next door. Anna did not like the man, so she joined her Uncle and Auntie who were going to South Australia.

After arriving in Adelaide on the 2nd of March 1849, Martin and Anna continued to see each other and on the 19th of November 1850 they were married at the Adelaide Registry Office. For some unknown reason, Martin's children by his first wife, had changed their names and were now known as Carl Ludwig Frederick, Ferdinand and Johanna Henrietta Christiana. Martin was working as a lead miner at Glen Osmond, just out of Adelaide, when Anna Maria gave birth to Anna Auguste Wilhelmina. Shortly after, they moved to Kanmantoo near Callington where Martin again got a job in the mines and another daughter, Amelia Fredericka Louise was born in 1853.

The family then moved to the Bugle Ranges, where Martin rented a farm. In 1855 William August Henry was born, followed by Christian Ferdinand Ernst in 1857, Anna Maria Caroline in 1860 and August Fredrick around 1862. The Uhe family then moved to Mt. Gambier in 1863 where Martin share farmed at a place called Drop Drop. On the 19th of October 1864, my great grand mother, Mathilda Dorothea Ottilie UHE was born, her cradle was a wash tub. They had 2 more children at Mt. Gambier, Frederick Carl August in 1867 and Helena Marie in 1869. In October 1871, Martin left his family at Mt. Gambier and joined some German friends to look for cheaper and better land in Victoria.

Martin UHE arrived with one wagon, three horses, two cows and some poultry. Using standing bulloak trees as supports, he constructed a pug hut with canvas for a roof.

Martin and his son's gradually improved the farm over the years, with the building of stables, a barn and a new farmhouse. On the 320 acres of good black soil, they mostly grew wheat.

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Uhe homestead, Martin, Anna and 2 daughters.
As Martin Uhe was nearly 60 when he arrived at Lake Marma, his youngest son, Frederick Carl August, took over the running of the farm. He fulfilled his roll as a good citizen and neighbour, but like his father he took little part in civic matters. Martin and Anna retired to a house in McDonald Street Murtoa. Their daughter Mathilda D. O. UHE married Franz Ottomar WAGNER on the 10th of May 1893. J. H. Martin UHE died on the 19th of December 1900 and was buried the following day at Murtoa Cemetery. Anna Maria UHE nee PAGEL died at her McDonald Street home on the 17th of May 1915 and was buried next to her husband on the 18th of May.

In the 1940's, 28 hectares of the property was acquired by the Murtoa Sewerage Authority as a Sewerage Farm. August Uhe's youngest son Marcus and his wife Phyllis are the present owners of the property.