Maryborough Boge's

Hans Boge, aged 20, was also aboard the Beausite with Johann and Catharina in 1866, together with his sister Mrs. Pohlmann. Hans was the first of the “Maryborough Boge’s" together with his brothers Marx (Marcus) who came out on the Humboldt at the age of 19 in 1870 with thier mother Catharina (Katerine) and Joachim who came out on the Lammershagen in 1873 with his wife Christina. Sisters, Mrs Sayler, Mrs Gehrmann and Mrs Braker also made the trip while another brother, Jurgen, stayed behind in Germany. All were born in Kaltenkirchen to father Marx (died there 1855) and Catharina (Katerine) (nee Storjahann, died in Maryborough in 1900 aged 87). While no family connection can be made at this time, at the very least it’s very likely Johann (S Brisbane Boge's), Jurgen and Joachim would have known each other as they had all served in the Danish army together in 1860, stationed at Kronborg Castle at Helsingør (Elsinore), Denmark.

Hans learnt his trade as a bootmaker with Boss and Penny in the 1870s, later partnering with his brother Marcus in the boot trade forming Boge Bros. making working men’s boots in 1891. Hans took over the business rapidly gaining a good reputation for quality and he was later able to employ ten bootmakers. The firm ran out of a number of premises finally ending up on 233 Adelaide Street. Hans maintained an interest in the business right up until his death when it passed on to his children. He died at his residence on Bazaar Street, Maryborough in 1930 aged 85 leaving a fortune of £34,992.

Marcus’s early time in the colony was devoted to farming on the Mary River where he owned a 70 acre property called the Aurora Plantation near Owanyilla where he grew sugar cane and had a mill near Mitchell’s Falls. His brother Joachim and his family also lived on the property. Later he started a business in town in the boot trade (at least 1885 in partnership with Gardner) on Ellena Street which he conducted for many years, singly or in partnership with others, before handing over to Hans. He was an early leader and representative of the German immigrants being president of the Maryborough German Association in 1873, and took an active interest in local affairs being a Justice of the Peace and an Alderman for several years. Marcus built a splendid nine-roomed house on Gayndah Road, Maryborough coincidently named ‘Elsinore’ which was home to him and his wife Anthilde Maria Christina (nee Bundesen). He became the lessee of the Club Hotel before passing away in 1902 at the age of 61.

The Boge’s were very well known and respected in the area, as well as being quite proliferate; in an article in the Maryborough Chronicle on the death of Katerine Boge in 1900, she is listed as having no less than 56 grandchildren and 52 great-grandchildren!