German Community in Ipswich

Many German families settled in the country areas around Ipswich and many small country towns received names with German origin eg Marburg. In early copies of The Queensland Times, there are a few advertisements written in German addressed to these new migrants.

The German settlers were often poor at first and were very hard-working. They kept up many German customs such as traditional German weddings.

The German immigrants were regarded suspiciously when war broke out. In Boonah, local people became angry in 1916 when a German boy was given a job at the Post Office. In 1916, nearby towns with German names - Minden, Hessenberg and Kirchheim were changed to Frenchton, Haigslea and Ingolby. Some of these names were changed back after the war.

One of the best-known German immigrants in this area was Jacob Born who worked for Cribb & Foote.

On 7 July 1863 the German residents of Ipswich wrote to Sir George Ferguson Bowen advising that a meeting of the German residents of Ipswich and vicinity had been held on 4th July 1863 and that 287 German freeholders and residents of Queensland had signed a petition  to have Adolphus Hasenhamp appointed as the Emigration Agent for the Continent of Europe and particularly for Germany.