Album presented to Johann Christian Heussler, Queensland Commissioner to Germany by German residents of the colony

Background

Owing to Queensland’s inability to attract sufficient numbers of Britons to assist in the development of the colony after separation, attention soon turned to the Continent and the Germanic states as a possible source of immigrants. In 1861 the German-born Brisbane wine merchant and importer, Johann Christian Heussler, was appointed Queensland’s first Immigration Agent at Hamburg, a position he retained for two years. During Heussler’s term a policy of free passages to German immigrants was instituted, with a further attraction being the issue of land orders for every man, woman and child who arrived in Queensland. The scheme proved attractive, but also resulted in overcrowding and a number of deaths as shipping companies sought to capitalise on the exodus of disaffected Germans. Following the implementation of tighter controls, German immigration reaped enormous benefits for Queensland. Initially settling in the Logan River district, German farming families later moved into the Rosewood, Fassifern and Lockyer Valley districts where many of their descendants reside to the present day. Until 1914 Germans comprised the largest non-British element of Queensland’s population, and Johann Heussler was among many others who made important contributions to the colony. In 1863 Heussler became the official Queensland Consul for the Netherlands and three years later was appointed to Queensland’s Legislative Council. He remained a Member of the Legislative Council for four decades. In 1880 Heussler also became Queensland Consul for Germany and in 1897 he returned to his homeland after being appointed Queensland’s Commissioner in Germany to promote trade and encourage further emigration.

 

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