Paternal Beginnings.....Hansen

The HANSEN's originated in Denmark, but our Frederick William HANSEN 
(my great grandfather) was born on 8 May 1833 in Rostock, Germany (then Prussia) 
of Danish parents, Frederick William HANSEN & Louisa Christina 'Christina' WOOLF. 
 [For much more information re dates etc go to HANSEN/JANS Website - see list]

Map is of Central & Western Europe in 1815 - the red line denotes where Germany is now.

This map shows Rostock in north-east Mecklenburg, Germany.

Frederick arrived in Victoria, Australia, 4 January 1855 aboard the ship ‘Tiptree’.

 married  

Maria Ellen CLARK on 13 Nov 1876 at 40 Gore St, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

40 Gore St, Fitzroy in 1876 was the home of the Baptist Minister
and Frederick & Maria were married in the front living room
of the house.  These photos were taken of that house in 2008.

[On Maria's Death Certificate, Maria & Frederick's marriage is listed as having taken place at Mansfield, Victoria 

when she was 18.  They were, IN FACT, according to the Marriage Certificate, married at the home of the 

Baptist Minister, 40 Gore St, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia.  Other family members believe they were 

married at Jamieson, Victoria on 13 Jun 1863, but I have no idea where that supposition comes from]

THEY HAD THE FOLLOWING 12 CHILDREN:

1.   Louisa Maria HANSEN b. 31 May 1865 at McMahon's Creek, Warburton, Victoria; married (in a double wedding  ceremony) on 11 Feb 1882 at Emerald Hill (now South Melbourne), Victoria, Australia to Johann Jorgen Ferdinand 'John' JANS and they had 10 children

  

     

2.   Frederick William 'Old Bill' HANSEN b. abt 1866 at Warburton, Upper Yarra, Victoria, Australia; married #1 abt 1889 to Mary Jane WALSH and they had 10 children;  #2 14 Jul 1909 at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Mary Ann JUDGE and they had 3 children

     

Frederick William 'Old Bill' HANSEN Jnr                    

3.   Ellen Theresa 'Nellie' HANSEN b. 28 Sep 1867 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married (in a double wedding  ceremony) on 11 Feb 1882 at Emerald Hill (now South Melbourne), Victoria, Australia to Andreas 'Andrew' JANS and they had 7 children.

Ellen Theresa 'Nellie' HANSEN at her farm

4.   Elizabeth Anne 'Lizzie' HANSEN b. abt 1869 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married abt 1890 to Robert JONES and they had 3 children

5.   Alice Maude 'Maude' HANSEN b. 19 Apr 1871 at McMahon's Creek, Victoria, Australia; married on 2 Jul 1891 at East Warburton, Victoria, Australia to James BRANSON and they had 13 children

6.   Robert George 'George' HANSEN b. abt 1872 at Warburton East, Victoria, Australia; married abt 1896 to Esther HARRIS and they had 2 children

7.   Ada Christina HANSEN b. 02 Jul 1876 at McMahon's Creek, Warburton, Victoria, Australia [*My Grandmother*]; married on 25 Mar 1897 at Lilydale, Victoria, Australia to Martin MORTIMORE and they had 11 children

   

8.   Samuel Roderic HANSEN b. 19 Jul 1878 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married on 10 Jul 1912 at Tasmania, Australia to Christina Naismith 'Tina' POLSON and they had 2 children

9.   Albert Henry 'Bert' HANSEN b. abt 1880 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married abt 1909 to Minnie DON and they had 4 children

Bert HANSEN & Chris HARVEY with Bert's pet wombat

10. Dora Amelia 'Amelia' HANSEN b. abt 1883 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia;  d. abt 1883 aged 5 months

11. Thomas Talbot 'Tom' HANSEN b. 07 Jun 1884 at McMahons Creek, Victoria, Australia; married on 1 Jun 1921 at St Cuthbert's Anglican Church, Glenlyon Road, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia to Janet Olive 'Olive' JOHNSON and they had 2 children

  

12. Ruby HANSEN b. 03 Dec 1886 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married on 14 Jan 1907 at Myrtlebrook Farm, Cement Creek, Victoria, Australia to Christopher HARVEY and they had 6 children

FAMILY LIFE

The HANSEN’s lived at the gold diggings at Mansfield, Woods Point, and Reefton/McMahons Creek. At the time of their marriage their address was given as Sale in Gippsland. Frederick & Maria HANSEN established a property known as ‘Myrtlebrook Farm' at Cement Creek, near Warburton, which was one of the first freehold properties selected in the district.   ‘Myrtlebrook Farm' passed into the hands of their 9th child, Albert Henry 'Bert' HANSEN, and he sold it in about 1914 to Lamprieres, shipping agents from Melbourne.  Eventually the property was compulsorily acquired by the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works. and in whose hands it remains to this day.

c.1910 Believed to be Maria HANSEN (nee CLARK) and some of her

children feeding the animals at 'Myrtlebrook Farm'.

Frederick HANSEN was one of the group of men who turned the river at the Big Peninsula, anticipating that alluvial gold would be at the low spot but, unfortunately, their dreams of a rich gold find were never realised. Although he owned 'Myrtlebrook Farm' Frederick HANSEN still gave his occupation as that of a Miner. 

It is believed that Frederick & Maria HANSEN were the ones who built, operated and then moved the Reefton Hotel (originally it was the general store, in the times when miners brought in their gold to be weighed on the grocer's scales¹) from it’s original position (It used to be on the opposite side of the road and a mile further up the road) to where it now stands.  It is said to be in it’s present position because they couldn’t get it across McMahon’s Creek.. 

[¹These same grocer’s scales are now in the possession of Thomas HANSEN’s grandson, Laurie RICHARDS - see below]