Part Six Descendants of Walter and Mary Adams of Bundaberg

Chapter 23

A French Connection

Mary Ann, the second daughter of Walter and Mary Adams, was born in Maryborough in 1857. In 1876 she married John Henry Edma Bertheau whose father, Charles Zacharie Bertheau, was born on 6th November 1815 at Merrysac, Yvonne, France to a wine growing family. No record has been found of his arrival in Australia. He married Ann Coulter at Parramatta, New South Wales, in 1846. Their first child, Eliza, was born the next year at that town. By 1849 the family had moved to South Australia where John Henry and his older brother, Charles Edmund, were born. The second daughter of Charles Zacharie and Ann, Marie Emeliene, was probably born in 1854 but no record has been found. Zacharie William and Matilda Jane were born in 1857 and 1860 at Belfast and Kord, Victoria, respectively.

The family moved to Queensland in 1861 where their last child, Claudius

CAugustus, was born in 1864 and died in 1866. Charles Zacharie operated cordial works in Gympie, Maryborough, Gayndah, Stanton Harcourt and Mount Perry before establishing an aerated water, liquor and cordial factory next to the Caxton Printing Works in Quay Street, Bundaberg in 1875. (Appendix E1) Prior to this, in 1870, he had been the licensee of the Ballarat Hotel in Maryborough.

It is likely John Henry became associated with the management of Sommerville Plantation soon after marrying Mary Ann; however, the earliest electoral record to suggest this was in 1884 when his residence was given as the Woongarra Scrub. His close identification with the management of the affairs of Walter and Mary was further evidenced by his appointment as co-executor and trustee of Walter’s will which remained in place until a matter of days before Walter’s death. It appears he was the son-in-law who filled voids created by the death of George Manus and the alienation from his father of James Walter in 1890.

The Bertheau family, however, saw their future in Childers and they acquired land in that district. On record are 640 acres granted to Charles Zacharie at Childers in 1881, 124 acres on the Gregory River to John Henry and 160 acres at Childers to Zacharie William in 1886, 40 acres and 123 acres on the Gregory to Charles Edmond in 1893 and a further lease and grants at Childers in 1897, 1899 and 1902 to John Henry. (Appendix E2)

The family appears to have established permanent residence in the Isis Scrub in 1901. Within three years, John Henry was dead.

John Henry and Mary Ann had six daughters and five sons, Annette Mary, Charles Zacharie, Walter Henry Edma, Edmund James, George Manus, Matilda Jane, William John Coulter, Maria Emelienne, Nellie Bernadette, Mary Ann Adams and Adeline Muriel.

Matilda Jane and William John Coulter died as infants and are buried in a combined Bertheau/Adams plot in the Bundaberg Catholic Cemetery.

Charles and Edmund worked on the family farms. Both were later to suffer from mental illness and were to spend their latter years in institutional care.

Annette Mary (Peggy) managed the domestic arrangements at the home farm, Ashgrove, at Apple Tree Creek until the mid 1950’s.

Walter was based at the satellite farm named Grange. He farmed the properties until his death in 1948.

George transferred skills developed in administering the family’s finances to establish an accounting practice in Brisbane.

Maria Emelienne (Myra) and Adeline both demonstrated artistic talent, cut short in Adeline’s case by a relatively early death.

Nellie married John Cobham Payne. John was a senior member of the legal firm of Payne and Grose. He took over the practice from his father, Frederick William Payne, barrister-at -law and City Solicitor when Bundaberg was gazetted as a city in 1913.

John served in World War I with distinction but suffered severe wounds including major damage to his face. His nose was replaced by a graft of one of his thumbs, a technique later used by Drs. Macindoe and Tilley at the Royal Victoria Hospital, East Grimstead, on Battle of Britain burns victims who became members of the ‘Guinea-pig Club’. John was awarded the Military Medal and, on his return to Australia in May 1917 he had risen to the rank of Sergeant (his obituary suggests Sergeant Major).

In World War II, although barred from active duties owing to wounds received in the earlier campaign, he never lagged in the cause of patriotism. John joined the Volunteer Defence Corps and, on discharge, was either a Private, as suggested by the WWII Nominal Roll, a rank which would have reflected his natural modesty, or, as stated in his obituary, a Major which probably more accurately reflects the value of his contribution. He was a Past President of Legacy, The RSL and the Rotary Club and Patron of the Bundaberg Rifle Club.

Although John and Nellie had no children, his love of children was well known and he regularly held functions, particularly a Guy Fawkes Day bonfire, for the local children.

John died on 5th December 1954 when electrocuted by what was probably the first electric lawn mower in the Bundaberg district. The machine had a frayed earth connection.

Mary Ann Adams married Alexander Smith, an insurance inspector and public servant. They had two children, Alexander George and Mary Adeline.

Descendants of the Bertheau branch of the family also carry the surname of Langbroek.

APPENDIX E1

Bundaberg Industries Bertheau’s Cordial Factory

This factory is the oldest institution of the sort in Bundaberg, the present proprietor being one of the pioneers of the district. All sorts of aerated waters are made, the trade of the town being pretty well taken up by the two factories who manage to work together for the public good and for their own. Mr. Bertheau went home not long ago, and brought back with him some of the latest and most improved machinery obtainable, and the people of Bundaberg have practically the same class of waters available to them as at home. In addition to keeping a substantial stock of temperance beverages, Mr. Bertheau has a fairly assorted stock of wines including port and sherry, imported direct from San Francisco.

Copied from Wide Bay and Burnett Directory – 1886/87.

APPENDIX E2

Bertheau’s major land holdings in the Childers district.

John Henry Edma had a further 124 acres in the Gregory Shire, and Zacharie William an additional 160 acres in the Childers Shire