Story: Ernst August Uebergang (1846 - 1927)

From 'The Uebergang Families in Australia 1848-1985', added to this site 5 Mar 2008

Ernst August, at the age of eight years, came with his parents to Australia from Prussia in 1853 on the ship Wilhelmsburg. They settled first in Allansford, about eight miles from Warrnambool in Victoria. Carl Gottlieb died soon after arriving in Australia at 49 years of age. After Carl died, Ernst August realised that a great percentage of the responsibility of providing for the family's welfare rested on his shoulders. There were only two other older brothers - Carl and Wilhelm; all the other children were girls except for Heinrich who was still very young. Ersnt immediately set about to earn some money to support the destitute family. He became in itinerant shearer which included shearing for two and a half years in New Zealand and spending time in the Albury and Jindera districts of southern New South Wales. Because of his sincere commitment to his family, he only married late in life. He was 32 years old when he married Maria Elizabeth Pelchen on August 22, 1878 at Hochkirch (Tarrington) Victoria.

In the 1870s, Ernst bought land at Jung near Murtoa, in Victoria. His naturalization papers, which were issued just before obtaining land, showed that he applied for Australian citizenship in 1875 at Jung, Victoria. This would make him a pioneer of the area. He built a two room hut of mud and straw. The spirit of family co-operation was evidenced in this family. At harvest-time Maria turned the winnower in the hot sun and would sometimes be relieved by one of her daughters. Alma, the youngest girl, was turning sheaves for the hay stack at two and a half years of age. The children had to work, as there were many mouths to feed and Ernst did not have the money to employ other labour. When living at Murtoa, Ernst would rise at 4.00am and walk three miles to his farm each morning, except Sunday. He would then walk behind the plough all day and in the evening walk home again.

The first year of World War I brought bitter memories for Ernst and Maria's family and the other German families living in the area. Discrimination against people of German origin was evidenced. St George's Lutheran Church in Murtoa was burnt to the ground - the church where Ernst August Jr. had been baptized and confirmed.

Besides assisting the establishment of the Tabor Lutheran church in 1911, Ernst was influential in establishing a Lutheran Day School at Murtoa as he and his wife realized that a Christian education was paramount to keeping the Christian faith. Ernst and Maria instilled into their children, at a very young age, that they did not want them to work on Sundays. The children were never allowed to miss church service. Across the whole spectrum of their children's life, religion played the dominant part. They had their children attend the Murtoa Lutheran Day School and saw to it that the children learnt what their teacher expected them to learn, even if it meant the rod! Then later on it was to confirm lessons where many hours were spent, after school, with the local pastor, memorizing Bible passages. If these were not memorized, the children were penalized by having to write out a certain hymn many times.

In 1898 Ernst August and his wife purchased the farm of John Tepper, near Murtoa. Both Ernst and Maria are buried at Murtoa

The above is extracted from
The Uebergang Families in Australia 1848 - 1985
© The Uebergang History Committee, 1985,
pp. 507-8.
Quoted with permission.