I have been having a great time on here for 1 year now, tracing my and my husband's families. It has been SUCH FUN. But that was easy... they're all from UK/Australia.

Now, the German side! Eek! I have a few details from our family-tree book, quite a few names and arrival dates etc. And since they're in Australia (about 100+ years)I have a bit of luck finding them. But, finding them before that is obviously hard when you don't speak German!

Can anyone give me any red-hot tips? Or I'd even settle for a warm pink? I am finding it too daunting to even properly delve into it... and now I'm wasting my membership with inaction.

Thanks for your time reading my plea. :)

Pip.

Pip, do you have any idea what area/state your German relatives occupied in Australia? That's your starting point in terms of tracing the immigrant ships. Many German Wendish (Prussian) settlers came through Adelaide, SA. Mine/ours did.

Try starting with the Australian Wendish Heritage Society list of surnames...

http://www.wendishheritage.org.au/wends/families.php

Found one Koehne straight off... don't know if he's yours or not. Adelaide, SA


Heinrich Ludwig Adolph Koehne
Birth 2 Mar 1791 in Mellinghousen, Bruchhausen, Hanover, Germany
Death 11 Jul 1874 inLobethal, SA, Australia

Oh brilliant!

Yes, one line is from Prussia... I thought it was a given they mostly landed in SA. :) I should stop assuming. But yes, all of mine landed in SA.

Thanks, that looks like a great tip. I've never heard of the term 'Wendish'.

I am discovering that Köhne / Koehne is a pretty common name. I am finding it everywhere. Which is adding to my confusion.

This one, no. Not mine. :) But thank you.

Pip.

Hi Pip

From the surnames you mentioned I have traced this family.

South Australian Marriages, Registrations 1842-1916
Groom: Johann Daniel KOEHNE
Bride: Christiane Lydia RAMM
Date: 1870-02-25
Groom Age: 23
Status: S
Groom's Father: Friedrich KOEHNE
Bride Age: 17
Status: S
Bride's Father: Johann Daniel RAMM
Place: St Michael Church Hahndorf
District: Nai
Symbol: AV
Book/Page: 82/776

South Australian Marriages, Registrations 1842-1916
Groom: John Henry KOEHNE
Bride: Evelyn Emma LAMPE
Date: 1898-03-09
Groom Age: 23
Status: S
Groom's Father: Daniel KOEHNE
Bride Age: 19
Status: S
Bride's Father: Frank LAMPE
Place: St Thomas Church Balhannah
District: Nai
Symbol: A
Book/Page: 194/971


From BISA - The Biographical Index SA is not always accurate but it is often helpful.

KOEHNE J. Heinrick Danl par: J. Heinrich Fried Augt and Sophia nee WINDHORN
b: 13.3.1846 Bremen, Prussia d: 7.7.1877 bd: Lobethal SA
arr: 1846 PAULINE 0cc: Dairy Farmer res: Lobethal
rel: Luth
m: 25.2.1870 Lobethal SA Christiane Lydia nee RAMM par: J. Danl and Juliane nee STOSSEL
b: 19.12.1852 Lobethal SA d:
Rem JHJ BOERTH
ch: Carl Fried Ludwig (1870-1943), Paul Danl(1872-19?), Jes Heinrich (1875-1965), Hulda Lydia Anna MARKS (1878-1925)

KOEHNE J. Heinrich Fried Augt
arr: 1846 PAULINE rel: Luth
m: Sophia nee WINDHORN b: c1809 d: 10.9.1888 bd: Rosedale SA
ch: J. Heinrick Danl (1846-1877)

ADDED
Just checked the PAULINE passenger list and this particular family was not named.

Rhonda

OK not yours - but give us another name that you do know of and we'll check! Coulda never done this myself without some starter help from other 'Australians' (my grandmother emigrated to the US and we knew where she was from, but didn't know who WE were connected to. Oddly enough, neither did our Australians cousins till I found them in Spring 2012!)

Thanks... yes these are mine.

But I already have them in Australia. I'm trying to figure out from before they arrived. Having said that, you have given me lots more detail to flesh them out a bit. Thanks!! :D

Here's a screen shot of that little bit of my tree, starting at my Pat Grandfather, FJ Kainey. I hope you can read it? I haven't tried this before. I'm too tired to go typing it out. :)

Scrap what I said earlier!! This fella IS mine!!! Sorry, so so tired. Not concentrating.

He is my 4th great grandfather... and followed his son Johannes Heindrich Das August Koehne here. JHDAK brought his young family here.