Maria Kochanski

Story

Maria (Mary) Kochanski arrived in Australia on board the “Quetta” on 29th June 1885 along with Mr. and Mrs. Stiller (Conrad and Julianna) and their son Carl Emil who was aged 28. Mary was orphaned at an early age as her father (a butcher) died before she was 2 years old and her mother either died soon after or adopted her out to the Stiller family in Christburg, Germany. Her mother was from a very wealthy Mennonite family from the Zeyersvorderkampe area in Germany. It is an agricultural area now called Kepiny Male just to the west of Elblag, Poland.

Mary was 11 at the time she arrived in Australia. She departed from London on the 5th May 1885 and arrived sometime around the 29 June 1885 at Yeppoon, Queensland. Her adopted parents were Conrad and Julianna Stiller both aged 54 at the time of arrival. Conrad Stiller was born on the 16th February 1831 in Leobschutz, Germany. He died in Rockhampton on the 2nd March 1903. Julianna was born in Leobschutz, Germany on the 12 June 1831 and died in Rockhampton on the 6 August 1910. Carl Emil was born in Christburg, Germany on the 19 April 1856 and died in Rockhampton on the 26 December 1924. Carl Emil was a music teacher and conductor of high standing in the Central Queensland area.

Leobschutz, Germany became (Silesia) Glubczyce, Poland after WWII. It is interesting to note that (Silesia) Glubczyce, Poland (Leobschutz, Germany) is quite a long way from where Mary was born. Mary’s mother must have travelled a great distance in those days in order for Mary to be adopted by the Stiller family. Her mother was from a very wealthy Mennonite family from the Zeyersvorderkampe area in Germany. It is an agricultural area now called Kepiny Male just to the west of Elblag, Poland.

Mary lived for 80 years in Queensland following her husband (Hans) around to various country towns while he worked in the Queensland Railways. They were married in 1898 and had 6 children. 3 boys and 3 girls. She was known as “Little Nan” by her family.

Mary made an application to the Gold Warden’s Court in Rockhampton for a miners homestead lease under Part 8 of the Mining Act of 1894 for 40 acres of land at Bondoola bounded by mining homesteads No’s 564 and 730 (736?) and Yeppoon Road. The application was granted. This information was in the Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton) on the Thursday 19 June 1913 edition page 6. They would have moved there straight away and began building their house. As of mid 2013, their house still stood off the Rockhampton-Yeppoon road just past Bondoola. The house was called “Hillside”.

They travelled from Bondoola to Yeppoon for church and shopping via horse and carriage (phaeton). The horse was called “Beauty”. Hazel Byrne (Mark), her grand daughter, had quite a few trips on the carriage when she was very small and remembered them all as high adventure. There is a great photo on the family tree website of Hazel and Joanne Mark with Little Nan and Little Pop at Bondoola. They developed the farm with orchards of citrus and pineapples which they sold or traded.

The family still have the crystal jug and glass set that was given to Hans and Mary Mark when Hans retired from the Queensland Railways.

Mary died on the 12th September 1964 in Rockhampton aged 91.

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