Karl Johan Segerstrom
| Town/City | Newcastle NSW |
|---|---|
| First name | Karl Johan |
| Last name | Segerstrom |
| Country of Origin | Sweden |
| Date of Birth | 1866 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1890 |
| Submitted by | ROSS KILPATRICK |
Story
Karl the son of a farmer joined the Swedish Navy and was stationed on a small island off Stockholm.
When Karl realised he was going to be on the island for 7 years he decided to desert and went to Norway.
The story handed down by his family is that he wanted to go and live in USA however the ship he obtained work on the SS.Persian came to Sydney Australia in 1890.
Karl met other Swedish sailors in Sydney and his friend Peter Anderson also Swedish introduced Karl to Laura Brain a young Welsh girl and they married.
Karl worked on small boats which travelled from Sydney to Grafton.
Karl made beautiful furniture for his daughters. Karl loved playing Chess.
Karl died in Balmain in 1916 and he and Laura are buried in Rookwood Cemetery.
Karl’s Grand daughter Marie Kilpatrick (nee Segerstrom was awarded the Order of Australia in 2009)