The Hulbert Family.
Hulbert FamilyFranz Fredrick Venator the son of Jacob and Miss Birchoff was born in 1829; he arrived in Australia on the "Reiherstieg" 13th November 1856.
Wilhelm Kirchner had been well established in Sydney for many years. He was the Australian Consul for Hamburg, Germany and was very successful in persuading many German immigrants to come to Australia in the early 1840's. He found employment for them in many districts including the new Hunter Valley wine industry.
The value of wool and lamb declined rapidly in the mid 1840's due to worldwide economics and the advent of the Crimean War. The pastoralists in many cases found it more profitable to "boil down" their animals for the more saleable tallow.
By 1848 W. Kirchner, who had built a tallow factory at Grafton, was aware that large amounts of tallow were being exported to Germany and then shipped back to Australia as soap and candles. Wilhelm went back to Germany and returned on the "Australian" in 1851, with his family and over thirty German immigrants. He then formed a new company with a group of partners and added to his "boiling down" factory, saw mills and soap and candle manufacturing divisions.
For his new vision to succeed all types of tradesmen and labourers would be required, shipping facilities had to be built, engineers, chemists, soap makers, sawyers, carpenters, wheelwrights to name a few, were in demand.
Wilhelm each year continued to bring out German immigrants to Grafton and other places. He even had ships named after he and his wife, the "Wilhelmsberg", "Wilhelm Kirchner" and the "Fanny Kirchner".Many of the people of Grafton connected to the Venator and Stelzer families arrived in 1856 on the ships "Caesar Godeffroy", "Alma & Olga", "Daniel Ross", "Iserbrook", "Adolph" and the "Reiherstieg". Cargo for the Kirchner Company on "Adolph" and the "Reiherstieg", alone consisted of 420 cases of sulphuric acid, 23 tons limestone, 100 pieces of machinery, a large number of various packages and a large quantity of cut "fir" timber.
Johann Martin Stelzer. Martin was born 1820 Darmstadt, Germany, the son of Johann Martin and Maria. He arrived in 1856 on the "Caesar Godeffroy" with his wife Henrietta Susannah (nee Binger), and children Caroline Elizabeth born 1847 Darmstadt, George born 1848 Darmstadt, Agnes born 1853 Darmstadt, Peter John born 1854 Darmstadt.
Martin's sister Johanetta Franciska Stelzer, born 29th August 1830 Darmstadt, also made the voyage to Grafton.
Martin and Henrietta's daughter Caroline Elizabeth married Louis Frederick Stuhlert in Grafton 1867. Louis was a ship carpenter born in Lassahen, Germany 1835.
Agnes Stelzer married Peter Kruse in Grafton 1869. Peter Kruse was master mariner also from Germany. Peter and Agnes had ten children.
Martin was possibly the most important staff member for Kirchner & Co. An industrial chemist, he held the patents for a new procedure in the making of candles and soaps using animal fats. Unfortunately Martin died the day before Christmas 1858. A replacement was found but too late, by 1863 the candle factory had closed down.
The many Germans destined for Grafton in 1856 with Franz Frederick Venator and the Stelzer family included Johann Stock "Reiherstieg", Nicholas Simon "Reiherstieg" Louis Frederick Stuhlert. Johann Phillip Bender "Caesar Godeffroy" and Frederick Doberer "Iserbrook".
Only days after his arrival in Australia, Franz Frederick married Johanetta Franciska Stelzer (Martin's sister) in Grafton 1856. The Venator and Stelzer Families had been friends in Darmstadt.
Franz's first job was as a soap maker for Martin (his brother-in-law) and Wilhelm. The children of the marriage were - Anna Elizabeth 1857, William 1861, Susanna Henrietta 1863, and Catherina Susannah 1866.The Naturalisation application for Franz dated 15th June 1859 was granted 18th May 1869. It states he was a brickmaker from Darmstadt, Germany and wishing to purchase land, his references included Johann Stock, a soapmaker. Other sources list Franz as a soapmaker/printer.
Franz became the Treasurer of the "Most ancient order of the Forresters court Clarence, Grafton" in 1875. He was the custodian of the School of Arts and the Inspector of Nuisances and Rate Collector for the Grafton Borough Council.
Franz died at Alice Street Grafton on the 18th July 1898.
Frederick Doberer was the secretary of the School of Arts and the Lutheran Church Building Fund.
The last of the immigrants from Germany for the Grafton Company arrived in 1858 on the "Armin". Nicholas Simon married Catherine Doberer.
Frederick Doberer had married Elizabeth Carson in Grafton 1872; they had one son and three daughters - Frederick Theodore 1873, Emmeline Marie 1874, Constant Maud 1876 and Ida Irene 1878. Elizabeth died in 1878, and then in 1880 Frederick married Agnes Greaves.
Catherina Susannah (Katif) Venator married John Henry Hulbert on the 3rd May 1883 at Grafton NSW, the son of Albert Hulbert and Ann Hogslow. John Henry was born in 1857 at Sheffield England. He arrived in Sydney from London 28th August 1879, via Adelaide and Melbourne, on the 2097 ton Steam Ship the "City of London".
The wedding witnesses were Louis Stuhlert and Susan Venator.The children of Catherine (Catherina) and John Henry were - Francis Henry Hulbert born in 1884 and Ernest Edward Hulbert born 1889.
John died 23rd June 1890 at thirty-three years of age, nine months after Edward was born. Catherine's father, Franz was a witness at John's burial.
Catherine then married George Mackie, son Louis Frederick Mackie was born 1895. Catherina used the German name Katif when she married John; she died of heart disease on the 12th April 1899 at Yamba NSW, as Catherine Susannah Mackie. Her son's were 15 to 4 years old when she died.
Francis died at Nth. Sydney in 1943.Frederick Doberer became the boy's guardian and family, he gave consent to Ernest's wedding.
The families lived in the following Grafton Streets: -
Johann Stock-Section 23/16 Duke Street, Frederick Doberer-Section 130/4 Villiers Street, L Stulhert-Section 130/5 Villiers Street, Martin Stelzer-Section 115/4 Villiers Street, Johanette Venator- Section 102/7 Alice Street, Johann Phillip Bender-Section 102/7 Alice Street, the Bender family lived with the Stelzer's and were also from Darmstadt, arrived on the "Caesar Godeffroy". Johann Bender was also a brickmaker/layer.Ernest Edward Hulbert married Violet Agnes Parnell, the daughter of Charles Edward Parnell and Emily Elizabeth King, on the 19th June 1909 at Sydney. Links- Emily Elizabeth King Parnell descendant's chart.
Ernest and Violet were both nineteen years old when they married.
Ernest died 6th June 1957, Violet died 22nd February 1964.
The three children of Ernest and Violet were - John (Jack) Ernest Hulbert- born 16th January 1910, died 28th July 1981. Thelma Violet Hulbert- born 25th April 1913 died Darwin 1967. Norma Kathleen Hulbert- born 31st May 1920. All were born in Sydney.Thelma Violet Hulbert married William Henry Clarke, Norman William Clarke born 4th September 1934 was the only child to this marriage. Don Clarke was born 19th April 1932, father Jack unknown ?
The children to the marriage of Claude Hedrick:- Claude born 8th. October 1941, Robert b.1946 d.1946 and Betty born 1st. December 1948. Link to the Clarke / Hedrick families.John Hulbert married Nance S Walsh at Nth. Sydney 1934.
He later married Elizabeth Vera Nicholson; the children of this marriage are - Denise Voelle born 17th August 1946 - died 16th October 2004. Wayne Arthur born 13th July 1948.Norma Kathleen married Ronald Leslie Clarke 20th October 1940.
She later married Vyvyan Martin Begg.Norma Kathleen (Kate Bayly) has one son Kenneth John Begg (formally Clarke) born 20th September 1941 at Nth. Sydney.
Ken Begg married Sally Diane White 28/9/1968 at St Peter's, Watsons Bay. They have one son Samuel Martin Begg, born 4/6/1973 at Canberra.
