Life Story of WILHELM STEHBENS (1853-1910) Researched and compiled by Ian Stehbens Wilhelm Stehbens ( baptised Wilhelm Stäben) was born in the poorhouse in Wöhrden, Holstein in 1853. He suffered deprivation as a child because the seasonal economy was disrupted by war. When 12 years old, he migrated with his parents and his 7 surviving siblings on the "Sophie" in 1865, to the frontier town of Maryborough in the struggling Queensland colony. The years that followed demanded hard work, as Wilhelm sought to establish ownership of land and maximize the opportunity that freedom from calling anyone master offered him. The optimism that the eternal summer of Queensland created at first, was later to be crushed by the severe vagaries of its climate. However the hope of living free from poverty, of marrying and seeing his children inherit hope, was eventually realized. But only in the last decade of his life did he see lasting fruit for all his striving. Three things empowered Wilhelm: the strength of support of his wife Lizzie, (Hannah Elizabeth Elvery), the hope inspired by his parents decision to migrate, and his ultimate trust in the grace of God. In 1872, his older brother, Claus Johann Stehbens, selected an 80 acre rainforest scrub block of agricultural land north of Maryborough, at Bundaberg. A year or two later, Wilhelm selected a block 3 kilomtres further south, between what are now known as Lovers Walk and Elverys Road, Bundaberg. He married Lizzie Elvery in 1875, in a Church of England. (Lizzie, Hannah Elizabeth Elvery, was the daughter of recently arrived English emigrants.) The following year their first child William was born; Minnie was born in 1878, George in 1880. About this time he sold his first selection. In 1881 he selected Selection 827 beside the Elliott River Road a further 5 kilometres south of Bundaberg. He and Lizzie and their family resided here from 13 April 1881 and in 3 years, Wilhelm had established a 2 roomed house with verandah (sawn timber and shingle roof) valued at 40 pounds, a detached kitchen (sawn timber and shingle roof) valued at 10 pounds, cleared 4 acres and established a garden and citrus orchard valued at 32pounds, dug a well 42 ft deep valued at 12 pounds, erected 12 chain of 2 rail and paling fence and 21 chain of 2 rail fence. His property was valued at 127pounds 18shillings. During this period, John was born in 1882 and Frederick was born and died in 1884. He continued clearing his land, earning income by selling his logs to the mill. Wilhelm supported his younger brother Detlef, who had selected 2 adjacent blocks, in his establishment. Such pioneering was always an extended family affair and Wilhelm received labouring support from his wife's family, also. Wilhelm and Detlef occupied three adjacent blocks, and were paying the government rent towards purchase. However, in 1885 Wilhelm did not receive payment from the mill for logs delivered, and was therefore unable to pay the required rent for his and Detlef's land. As money became available he paid the arrears owing on all three blocks. But the money had been borrowed from another neighbour, Joseph Gillen. In 1886, Wilhelm cleared the mortgage by selling to Gillen his mortgagor, who took up occupancy of Wilhelm's selection in August 1886. He then selected a larger property on the Gregory River. All this had a creative purpose: Wilhelm was seeking to establish himself on land with access to permanent water, as his older brother Claus Johann had achieved in 1883. So, this transaction, through mortgaging and disposing of selection 827, enabled Wilhelm and Lizzie to acquire a larger selection with a frontage on the Gregory River. This selection of a 200 acre block about 15 miles further south, on the north bank of the Gregory was made in January 1885. It was a promising block. There was dense vine scrub beside the river, backed by a well-grassed alluvial flat rising to heavily timbered country on poorer sandy soil. From here the story of the next ten years is best told in a letter addressed to The Honourable, The Minister for Lands, Brisbane: Sir, I have the honour to bring the following under your notice and to beg that you will be pleased to reopen the matter herein brought before you. In January 1885, I selected 200 acres of land on the Gregory River being portion 1478 Parish of Bingera, County Cook under the Land Act of 1876. During the first few years I occupied it I was fairly lucky with my crops but as you know a poor man going on land has a lot of dead work to do from which he receives no return and first I thought I was about to see something for my work beyond the rent and a bare living, when the Floods of 1890 put me in a worse position than I was when I started. Struggling on I was again flooded out in 1892, and I determined to find some new means of livelihood then this flooded ground, I secured a lease of 40 acres in the Isis Scrub here (Apple Tree Creek district). Again I had to face the task of falling and clearing dense scrub and knowing that I had eighteen (18) months work before me without any return I applied for and obtained an extension of time for twelve months from your department to meet my 1893 rent. I had planted another crop on the Gregory intending during my spare time here to run down and look after it and leaving my wife and children living there but in June [sic] '93 the usual flood came again and this time not only did I lose my crops but most of my small herd of cattle were swept away, my house was invaded by the waters, the whole of my furniture lost and my wife and children barely escaped with their lives. Even then misfortune was still to come to me. When my cane was ready for the mill in June last, the millowners were not in a position to receive it and I was forced to wait till January of this year before they took delivery of it. At the end of that month, finding myself in possession of a little money, I wrote to your department offering to pay up the greater part or if necessary the whole of the rent due on my selection. In reply I was told that the land was declared forfeited in September last. If this is to be the end of all my work to retain this land I must consider myself indeed unfortunate. After paying over eighty pounds, fulfilling all the conditions as to residence and improvements and living the life I have done for the last ten years with all its hard work and privations in order to keep the ground surely, sir, you will give me the chance to hold something for it. I am ready to pay within any reasonable time the money yet due on my land. I can obtain the necessary certificates for residence and improvements and ask you respectfully to be good enough to give me this one last chance. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant William Stebhens [sic] Subsequently, the opportunity was given to William to present the certificates of residency and improvements. This correspondence identifies the improvements that had been made to the selection: House built of slabs, shingle roof 10 pounds Dairy built of split stuff, shingle roof 12 pounds Stable and cattle shed built of slabs 5 pounds 40chain of split post and 2 railed fence 24 pounds 20 acres of srubland cleared stumped and ploughed and now left to grow grass 100 pounds The opportunity to continue was granted to William. His plea contained the following testimony which was attested and signed by John Elvery & James Farr: "Selector has continuously and bonafide resided on his selection 827 within 15 miles from 11th Febuary 1885 to June 1885 and from the last mentioned date to July 1894 on selection 1478. When I was obliged to remove my family on account of floods but have myself been working on the selection to the present time" 20.4.1895 signed. In 1896 William and Lizzie's daughter, Minnie was married to Mr Quarrie. The young men, George Quarrie, and his brothers-in-law, Bill and George Stehbens decided to migrate to New Zealand, in search of work opportunity, which they found in the Shannon district, north of Wellington. George and Minnie Quarrie and their 4 children, Bill and Isabella Stehbens with 2 children migrated in early 1904, and their younger brother George with his new wife Alma followed later that year. In New Zealand, Bill Stehbens had a team carting timber. George Quarrie became the manager of the Shannon Butter factory, and as Minnie had been so seasick on the outward voyage she vowed she wasn't going back to Queensland. They stayed in New Zealand, beginning the NZ Stehbens clan, whilst Bill and George returned to Queensland, before 1910. Wilhelm and Lizzie eventually left the land and moved to Scarborough St, Pialba where Lizzie ran Scarborough Boarding House. They remained there, Wilhelm dying in 1910. He was buried in the Polson Cemetery, Hervey Bay, Queensland.