Harman Jantjies

Known as Steerman Janyes, Hauram Jantjies, Zernam Herman, Herman.

Private Steerman Jantjies was a Khoisan soldier from the Cape of Good Hope, in South Africa. Jantjies was a labourer and he was a soldier with the Cape Mounted Rifles. He was tried at Grahamstown for  desertion in 1838 and was sentenced to transportation for life.

Australia's Ticket of Leave notices provide a detailed description of Jantjies. He was 5 feet, 1 and a half inches tall, copper color complexion, black and wooly hair, brown eyes, and no lashes, three blue dots between the eyebrow, scar on left, nose broad and flat, semicircular scar on left temple, scar on left side of upper lip, three blue scars on lower left arm, top of forefinger of left hand crooked, a Hottentot.

In 1843 Jantjies was employed as a "Mounted Trooper' in the Moreton Bay Border Police. His conduct was reported to be 'generally good, but a little inclined to drink'. He was dismissed in 1844 for being inefficient and untrustworthy.

Two years later The Moreton Bay Courier reported that Mrs. Clarke of North Brisbane was charged for violenty assaulting Zernam Herman. She was fined and cautioned.

Two years later, he received his ticket of leave for Moreton Bay. Jantjies is known to have still been in the area in 1848, as he had to report to the Ipswich Court of Petty sessions with his ticket of leave. By August 1850 he had been reported for being absent from Moreton Bay and his ticket of leave was cancelled.