Matti Hovi (Kukkohovi)

Story

Matti Kukkohovi (Hovi) 1888 -1956

The Hovi story for Immigration Bridge Book

In the late 1800s the Queensland Government was actively recruiting migrants from Finland. Matti and Maria Kukkohovi decided to accept the assistance and arrived in Townsville on board the Fifeshire with their two sons Matti aged 11 and Joona aged 9 in December 1899. They went to Ingham, then Terebonne where Matti found work with ‘Russan Jack'(Johan Sjoroos) on his sugar cane plantation. They then changed their name to Hovi.

Four more children (a boy and three girls) were born to the family before Matti and Maria decided to return to Finland in 1907, taking their Australian born children with them leaving Matti and Jonna behind to farm sugar cane. In Finland two more daughters were added to the family.

Matti became the ‘anchor’ for those of his siblings who eventually migrated to Australia

In 1926 two Australian born sisters Emma and Katri with Emma\’s daughter Aria arrived, followed by Finnish born Saimi in 1927. In 1930 Seth (Australian born) his wife and son arrived. They all started off at big brother’s farm before making their own lives in Australia.

Matti had a farm of 640 acres – one square mile called ‘Norrie Heath’ and was at Upper Stone with the Stone River running alongside the property. The farm was outside Ingham with Mount Fox in the background. The farm grew sugar cane and also had many head of cattle and horses.

Matti married Australian born Emily Hardy some time in 1911 and during her short married life she bore Matti four children one girl and three boys. She died giving birth to their last son in 1919. As the children grew Matti married a second time; her name was Nellie (Helen) Antiknap. Helen died in 1936.

Matti had a great love for his fellow countrymen and made many visits to Tully to visit his brother Seth and his family and many friends.

Matti Hovi\’s eldest son Leslie Percy Hovi loved farming so he stayed on the farm with his father. The only daughter Alice married and moved away and second son James (Jim) went off to war and third son Harold went to follow his dreams by going south.

In 1939 Leslie married Elizabeth Agnes Arbour in the Methodist church, Ingham, and they had three children Joan, Clem and Susan. Leslie worked the farm with his father until Matti\’s death in 1956. Matti died of a heart attack on his beloved farm retrieving pumpkins from a vine close to the house beside the river. Matti was always involved in his community and with his cane farm, he became involved in what was then called Australian Sugar Producers Association (ASPA) and was a delegate for his area. Matte also took his family on one Sunday a month to the local CWA Hall for a church service, his faith was very strong.

During the time Matti was alive he always enjoyed having his fellow countrymen visit on Sundays and go for a swim in the wonderful waterhole in the Stone River beside his farm, having coffee and Finnish bread for morning and afternoon teas. He also built a ‘Sauna’ on the side of the hill. Cutting it out and putting a fireplace with very large rocks from the river. It was under a windmill so the water to put on the hot rocks was easy accessible for us all to use.

Matti loved Australia, the open spaces, the climate and the people. He was very proud to be able to build a life and have a family in his new country, Australia, but still had a feeling from where he came from. His farm was sold in 1958 and Leslie Hovi his eldest son moved his family to the Burdekin said goodbye to ‘Norrie Heath’.

Thank you Australia for the opportunity of helping the Hovi family to have a chance for a wonderful life.

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