Carl Ernst Muehlberg

Carl Ernst Muehlberg

Carl Ernst Muehlberg was born the second eldest child to Paul Carl and Clara Elisabeth Muehlberg nee Hettner on the 10th of August 1909 at Mannum. ‘Ernie’ was baptised two months later at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Forster. Ernie was educated at Nildottie Public School, where his teacher took the initiative to teach the students how to swim. Ernie and elder brother Oscar attempted to fly by tying pelican wings to their arms and leaping off the top of a stump. Ern was also remembered for reducing a car to pieces (to his fathers disgust), to learn about mechanics. 

After Ernie left school, he worked on Gustav Hermann’s farm along the Murray River before learning new skills with Frederick Fox at Fox’s Creek. While he stayed at Fox’s Creek a young lady named Clair, who lived on a neighbouring property was noticeably keen on him. Franziska recalls Ernie as suffering perhaps a form of mild insomnia prior to him working for Fred. On many nights, he would sit in front of the fire for hours. Curiously, his insomnia was cured once he had earned enough money to visit the family at Nildottie on his newly bought motorcycle. Ernie however did not continue employment for very long at Fox’s Creek, he soon began working at the Lobethal Woollen Mill, since his interests were in machinery, not farming. The Mill was in the process of installing imported machinery from Germany. The German technician offered Ernie stable employment in Germany (which Ern declined) once the installation work in the Mill was complete. For the time he was employed at the Mill, Ernie boarded with Lucy Fox. Here he continued to add to his motorcycle collection in her garage. Lucy’s younger sister Alvena, whom still lived at the Fox’s Creek property, began to frequently spend time with Ernie. Together they rode on his newer motorcycle (one that was capable of making the journey) to the city on weekends.

Ern’s next employment was as a truck driver for a Logger named Oliver Probert of Forest Range. Mr Probert obtained his own work by offering a sum to any landowner whom had suitable timber growing on it. His business employed seven men, four to cut the timber, two to drive the horses and another to be the truck driver. The timber was mostly bought by ‘Wodlows,’ a box and crate manufacturer at Port Adelaide. Mr Probert’s timber was also used to build Cape Jervis Jetty and the old Seaview Road Bridge, which crossed the River Torrens Outlet. By no means, was the truckies job the easiest. Ern’s truck insisted on rolling over. On the first occasion, he was approaching a steep site to load up when the truck rolled right over upside down. Horse driver and later Ern’s motorcycle race mechanic said ‘Where’s Ernie, he could be dead in there,’ meanwhile in their haste to save their mate they all tripped simultaneously over a single fence wire as Ernie crawled out without a scratch. On the second occasion in the same truck he rolled it on a flat part of Greenhill road in Eastwood when the load shifted, hitting the cabin therefore turning the truck onto its side.  

Carl Ernst Muehlberg married Alvena Alma Fox on Sunday the 23rd of September 1939 at Scots Presbyterian Church, corner North Terrace and Pulteney Street, Adelaide. 

Their first home was at 14 Holton Street, Glenside. Ernie soon had a new job working for Litchfield engineering at Angas Street, Adelaide. The owner Mr Keith Litchfield also raced motorcycles. Ernie competed in motorcycle racing at Sellicks Beach, Rowley Park, Camden Park Speedway and around the street circuit of Lobethal and Charleston as well as winter reliability trials. Les Trenorden worked as Ernie’s mechanic for most events, while Frank Tuck helped on other occasions. Tragically, Frank died in a car accident on the way to Melbourne for his honeymoon when the car he was driving missed a turn and went over a bank. His new wife escaped any injury. 

Ern worked past the age of 65, accumulating 25 years of service to Litchfield Engineering. At one point, this factory manufactured ammunition that was used in World War Two. The Angas Street location was also for a time, the station barn for the Adelaide/Glenelg tram and is now part of the Courts complex. 

Each Easter Ernie visited his cousin Ern Hettner’s river front property at Walker Flat (which is now named Hettner’s Landing), to fish and occasionally shoot ducks.

Carl Ernst Muehlberg died of a heart attack on the 28th of August 1986 at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He was cremated and rested at Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena. 

Carl Ernst and Alvena were later reburried at Nildottie Cemetery on 29th of December 2012 alongside Ern's father Paul Carl Muehlberg. 

Alvena Alma Fox

Alvena Alma Fox was born at Fox's Creek on the 13th of March 1912, to Frederick and Bertha Fox nee Muehlberg, the third youngest of nine children. 

‘Vennie,’ attended Cudlee Creek Public School, located at junction of Lobethal Road and Fox Creek Road. The school consisted of one teacher, at around eighteen years of age to teach a full school (i.e. grades one to seven) of approximately twenty pupils. Her adolescent life was busy working on her father’s property. Their work was doubled in that her father Fred insisted on not buying a water pump for watering fruit trees on the hillsides. Apart from the normal duties of a mixed dairy, extra tasks also earned money for the family, like stripping black wattles of their bark to make brown shoe dye. At sixteen, she caught Influenza, which developed into Pleurisy and then pneumonia in only a week. Her condition was made worse by her father’s stubbornness to call for a doctor at first. After two months in the Gumeracha Hospital, during which time her elder sister Blanche died of the same condition, Fred removed her from hospital while she was still bald and weak. After a short time, she found herself working as hard as before and so by the age of twenty she had the courage to leave her home and find work for herself. 

Her husband to be ‘Ern’ Muehlberg helped her acquire a live-in maid position for a doctor in Mt Barker. Seven shillings a week and four years later she had the confidence in her skills to acquire work in Adelaide. After three more positions for very discriminating families, she married Carl Ernst Muehlberg on the 23rd of September 1939 at Scots Presbyterian Church, corner North Terrace and Pulteney Street, Adelaide. They lived at 14 Holton Street, Glenside before moving to 6 Melanto Avenue, Camden Park. From 1998, Vena has lived in the Pines Hostel, Marion Road, North Plympton.

Alvena Alma Muehlberg died on the 28th of September 2005 of an aneurism at Flinders Medical Centre, and rested with her husband at Centennial Park Cemetery. Carl Ernst and Alvena were later reburried at Nildottie Cemetery on 29th of December 2012 alongside Ern's father Paul Carl Muehlberg. 

Descendants of Carl Ernst Muehlberg & Alvena Alma Fox