THE STRUBER FAMILY OF THE NINE MILE

(1865 onwards)

The name STRUBER related to Stephen and Franz, two naturalised German men who arrived in Brisbane on the Golden City ship, 1865 and who arrived in Rockhampton on 23/01/1865 to settle at the Nile Mile. Franz left the area many years later and settled at Sandhills, via Emu Park. Stephen had spent about 5 years in America as a butcher and a wheelwright, fought for the Union in early battles and witnessed the James River ship battle between the Confederate ship Merrimac and the Federal ship Monitor in March, 1862. The Monitor was the winner. Both men came from Hanover, Germany as did Stephan's wife Maria at a later date.

These two men took up a large piece of country; Stephan set up a large wooden home of nine bedrooms, not far from the Nine Mile waterhole with a good supply of water from the well that they made. With Maria, his wife, they had a family of six girls and a boy who died at infancy. All his family attended the Nine Mile (Windmere) State School at the reserve. Stephen and Franz developed a flourishing grazing country with cattle, and as a butcher, Stephen was able to supply the household with good meat and HIS German sausages.

As the family of girls grew the eldest Katherine Sophia married Anthony WATTS and they settled on the Nine Mile/Alton Downs Road property at "GLEN ELLEN". A family of seven children namely twins - Stephen and Ellen, Dorothy, Frederick, Herbert, Mary and Thomas, who was only a baby when the mother died aged forty-two years in January, 1922.

The second STRUBER girl, Therese, married a HENDERSON and there was no family. The third girl, Martha married a STRACEY and there were two boys, Jack and Stephen. The fourth girl married a SCHIRMER from Gracemere. The fifth girl, Kathleen married Timothy CUNNINGHAM from Lion Mountain. Living members over the years include Timothy, George, Irene and Kevin. The sixth girl. Millie stayed single.

The STRUBER country after many years was sold to the McElvoy family, who continued to graze cattle on it and a large section was sold to the PACEY family. Maria STRUBER died in 1907 and Stephen died 06/08/1922, both are buried at the Rockhampton cemetery near the main gate, wrought iron and large headstones are still in place.