Christoph Metelmann
| First name | Christoph |
|---|---|
| Last name | Metelmann |
| Country of Origin | Mecklenberg-Schwerin |
| Date of Birth | 9/8/1828 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1857 |
| Submitted by | Keith Brownbill |
Story
Christoph Friedrich Joachim Metelmann was born in Wismar in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenberg-Schwerin on August 9th 1828. News of the gold strikes in Australia travelled round the world and inspired immigrants from many lands to seek their fortune. Aged 29 Christoph boarded the “Hermann” at Hamburg on September 1st 1857, arrived in Melbourne on December 20th, and made his way to the Tarnagulla area west of Bendigo where gold had been discovered in 1854.
He worked briefly as a miner and then as a carrier before being granted licences to occupy and farm 20 acres of land midway between the two mining towns of Inglewood and Tarnagulla. He became a naturalised British citizen on October 7 1865, and the next year the licence to the “Halfway Hotel” situated adjacent to his land, was transferred to him. It did good business as the thirsty miners carting quartz from Inglewood for crushing at the Tarnagulla batteries found the hotel a convenient stopping place.
Christoph married Catherine Hopkins, nee Morrison (born Yenisfodaery South Wales) at Tarnagulla on February 28 1863. They had 4 children – James Christian, David Frederick, Catherine Sophia, and Robert, but only the first two survived to adulthood.
Christoph’s ventures thrived. In addition to running his farm and hotel, he built and conducted a general store and set up a cheese factory. The quality of his cheeses was renowned far and wide, and he won a statewide exhibition with his produce.
He died of heart disease at his home in Arnold on August 31 1900, leaving behind his wife Catherine, his sons James Christian, and David Frederick, and three stepchildren from Catherine’s previous marriage. The “Halfway Hotel” closed in 1905.