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-- PaulKlemick - 22 Sep 2007

Family reunion

More than 200 people will converge on Waihola this weekend for a reunion of descendants of Paul and Eva Baumgardt.

The Baumgardts were among the first immigrants to come to New Zealand under the Vogel scheme to get Europeans to settle in this country.

They were originally from Poland and boarded the ship Palmerston at Hamburg. After a four-month voyage they arrived at Port Chalmers, where officials tried to quarantine the whole complement of passengers and crew on Quarantine Island. After seeing the conditions on the island the passengers decided instead to remain in quarantine on board the ship. The Baumgardts left the ship on December 24, 1872.

They worked for a while on the Southern trunk railway and in August, 1873, obtained land at Waihola, through a Government grant.

The Baumgardts bought more land at Waihola as time progressed, and turned their hand to farming.

They had four children when they arrived at Port Chalmers and had six more after settling at Waihola. Of the 10 children, four had families of their own, and all four branches of the family will be represented at the reunion.

Mrs. Pauline Morris, who is on the committee organising the reunion, said they have arranged with the Bruce County Council to start an Early Settlers Grove in the Waihola township, near the lakeshore.

During the reunion a maple tree will be planted there, the first tree in the grove.

Apart from planting a commermorative tree, other activities will include dancing, an outdoor service, the cutting of a cake and the provision of Polish food.

A family tree, dating back nine generations to 1770 has been drawn up and will be on display, along with old photographs and other historical documents. "The Otago Daily Times".