Hi Kirsty

Not being able to get to the library yet, I have been doing some research via computer and have come across 8 children born to August and Amelia, and several of these childrens’ marriages. You probably already have most of this information. If not let me know and I will pass it on. I am at a dead end with my own research on a couple of lines and despite my German ancestor leaving 60 pages of memoirs, I still can’t trace him in Germany. So being totally addicted to research I might as well try to help someone else.

Going through what I’ve found so far on the Beechworth Hartmanns and setting it out chronologically, tells me that August and Amelia or (Emily), probably did not come on the Saldanha which arrived in Melbourne on 21st August 1860, as their first child, Amelia, was born in Melbourne in 1858.

It also reveals that August, his wife and family were long term residents in the Beechworth area, from at least 1860 to Amelia’s death in 1914. Given this period of time there should be something about them in local records. It also shows that two of their children, Rosetta and Frederick Edward left Australia and settled in New Zealand around the turn of the century.

This is what a computer search has revealed so far:

 HARTMANN A, aged 21 appointed on 15th October 1883 to Beechworth Lunatic Asylum.
(Taken from an index to Victorian Public Service Board return for 1884 published in the Argus newspaper Monday February 2nd 1885. This index does not show salary, division or classification). I can’t tie this in with any of August and Amelia’s children at the moment.


AUGUST HARTMANN – died on January 11th 1886 and is buried at Three-Mile Beechworth.

MARY HARTMANN - was listed as a prize-winner at Miss Lack’s Private School at Three Mile. Although no date was given on the list, this was probably Mary Maude Hartmann born 1871. Should be easy enough to check when I get to the library as this came from the Ovens and Murray Advertiser which is on microfilm.

AMELIA or EMILY HARTMANN - died on October 3rd at Beechworth. She is buried at Beechworth.

From the above, it seems that the family must have spent a number of years at Three Mile. If this is the same place known as Three Mile today, it is out along the Myrtleford Road somewhere near Christiansen’s Orchard with no sign of the thriving little settlement that was established by 1854. At that time there were a couple of pubs, several stores, a restaurant, a baker, a dairyman, blacksmiths and quite a few farmers.

With all the land around Three Mile taken up by private ownership today, I doubt whether August’s grave could be found. However I live close to the Beechworth Cemetery and will see if I can locate Amelia’s grave for you. But this is where I should change my name to “Wendy”… I’ll do it when de foot is better, when de car is fixed and when de weather is not so darned hot.

The other thing of interest that I have come across is – whoever submitted the information on the Hartmann family to the Mormon IGI, had HENRY AUGUSTA HARTMANN (son of August and Amelia) as born Beechworth 1868 – died in New South Wales in 1901.
I have looked at the online NSW BMD indexes from 1890 to 1902 and cannot find his death. There is an Augustus W. Hartmann who died in 1901 in the district of Warialda, but his parents are not listed, so nothing to check against.

If you like you can email me at aaajade26@tadaust.org.au
just remove the aaa for the correct email address. Trish Lawson.