Much has been made, quite rightly, of the contribution to Bendigo of famous architect Vahland, but not much to the other architects from Germany.  Some of these people came to Bendigo before Germany was unified in 1871. Vahland himself preferred to be known as a Hanoverian.

Achitectural historian Mike Butcher, in Bendigo: The German Chapter, edited by Frank Cusack, cites many other German architects including the long-time associate of Vahland, Robert Getzschmann, together designing many of Bendigo’s finest buildings.

Edward Nicholai was trained in Germany and was invited to join the partnership by Vahland while teaching Architectural Drawing at the Bendigo School of Mines, being employed as a draughtsman or architect. 

According to Mike Butcher, no designs can be attributed to him alone and he did not seek recognition as an architect in his own right until he joined the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects in 1888. 

Frederick Franz Nicholai followed his father as an architect and teacher at the School of Mines. He designed "Marburg" in Hargreaves Street and a richly ornamented domestic house in Wills Street.

Vahland is said to have bought Emil Mauermann to Bendigo and worked for him as clerk-of-works until establishing his own practice and designing the Sandhurst Coffee Palace in Mitchell Street.

Over the following four years he designed several important buildings in Bendigo and Melbourne and submitted drawings to Bendigo Art Gallery and the Melbourne Stock Exchange.

He was issued with a warrant for obtaining goods with a valueless cheque, but he had by that time moved to Western Australia, having sold his Bendigo practice to his draftsman, Frederick Lehmann.

Vahland’s son, Henry, studied in Germany, but, according to Mike Butcher, not in the same city as his father who took him into partnership in 1892. 

Unfortunately Henry died at a relatively early age and the city was denied what may have been an illustrious career.

Heinrich Dietrich Boselmann was born in Holstein, Germany, and came to Bendigo, where he studied under Nicholai at the Bendigo School of Mines. He built cottages in MacKenzie Street and was a contractor for St Kilian’s Church.

For a short time Bosselmann was in partnership with Frederich Lehmann who studied at the Bendigo School of Mines and won medals for his work, claiming to have designed Sir John Quick’s residence in Hamlet Street.

Conrad Bode was German-born and a contractor in Kerang and his son Albert designed the Catholic school there.

NOTICES

Songs of the Anzacs double CD featuring Peter Ellis and the Emu Creek Bush Band, cost $25, is available at Specimen Cottage (5441 3443) and Nolan Street Archives (5442 1005).

Shamrock tours every Sunday at 2pm. Cost $10 includes coffee and cake. Book at Shamrock on 5443 0333.