Anna Hundrack

Occupation: Dressmaker The Hundracks built the historical homestead `Poplar Valley` in 1852, situated on the Penshurst Road, on Hamilton`s outskirts. The homestead is believed to be the first built in the area. A book published to celebrate the centenary of Tarrington`s St. Michaels Lutheran Church Congregation, said the settlers bought some 92 hectares which included the present lot of 10.9 hectares. The land, later named `Poplar Valley` originally also included the site of the Lutheran Cemetery in Chatsworth Road. Before leaving South Australia, Johann Hundrack had been one of the nine signatories who signed the call sent to Pastor Schurmann for him to administer their spiritual needs in the new settlement in Victoria. Towards the end of October 1853 Pastor Schurmann and his family were transported in a wagon belonging to Johann Hundrack, from Portland to Hamilton. Johann Hundrack was a charter member of the original congregation of St. Michaels Lutheran Church, Tarrington and contributed 12.15 pounds as his donation towards the building of the first church. In 1858 a new St. Michael`s Church was built and Johann Hundrack was one of the trustees. The following is an extract from the book The Linke Families in Australia 1838-1980 about the first settlers in the Tarrington area. In 1853 some Wendish and German families trekked overland from Rosenthal, Hoffrungothal and Bethanien in South Australia, through the Mt. Gambier district to Portland, Victoria. They had heard of rich land being thrown open for settlement but arrived too late. A few families stayed around Portland for several months, then joined the move north to the Hamilton area `The Grange`, and area of rich land. The Tarrington Settler first bought land in Poplar Valley, just east of Hamilton paying $4 - $8 an acre. They quickly sowed a crop but the growing time was short, so they pulled up the part grown crop by its roots, tying it with grass, then moved on to a better area, further to the east. The settlement became known locally as Germantown, to the Wends as Bukecy and to the Germans as Hahleirch. All Lusation towns in Saxony had two names, a Wendish one used locally and a German one for the official overlord. The names were changed in 1917 to Tarrington after a town in Herford in England. DEATH: Reg # 1918/5053; Age at death - 84 years; BURIAL: Grovedale (Germantown) Cemetery; Reg # 113;