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Baumgardt Family

SURNAMES & THEIR ORIGINS

BAUMGARDT (Ger) baum. Meaning: tree or Baumgart one who lived near or owned an orchard.

FLIS (Pol) flis/flisak. Meaning: raftsman.

PAWELSKI (Pol) Paweł (Paul). Meaning: small.

Catholic Church records dating from 1768 show the family name to be Bongarda. It is believed the name became Germanized to Baumgardt during the German occupation of Western Poland. The family resided in an area ethnically known as Kaszubski in the greater Słupskie area, which at that time was part of West Prussia. This region is covered in forests of Maple trees over 300 years old, 26 metres in height and 3.51 metres in girth and scattered with hundreds of lakes of various sizes.

Stanislaus Bongarda (1809-1845), the son of Jacob Bongarda & Anna Pawelska, married Marianna Benczyk (-1864) in the early 1830's. While residing in the village of Golzau (Golczewo) in the Parish of Parchau (Parchowo) they had the following; Paul (1833-1923), Josephina Elena (1836-1836), August Jacob (1837-1839), Marianna Anna (1840-1843), Augustina Apolonia (1843-1844) & Rosalia Barbara (1845).

Paul Bongarda, known at this time as Paul Baumgardt, married Eva Apollonia Flis, the daughter of Johann & Eva Flis, at the Roman Catholic church at Parchau on the 19th of January 1863. Due to missing records we could only locate three known children to Johann & Eva Flis who were born in the village of Golzau, being: Marianna (1837-1843), Josephina (1840-1841) & Eva Apolonia (1844-1908).

In 1874, the village of Golzau was a small farming village with a population of 322. Parchau had 686 inhabitants, a church, mill and saw-works. The two villages are approximately three and a half kilometers apart and today they are returned to Polish Administration and named Golczewo and Parchowo.

Paul & Eva Baumgardt remained in the village of Golzau and had the first of their children being; Eva Augustina (1864-1890), Johann Adam (1866-1868), Kasimir Joseph (1868-1938), Anna Katharina (1870-1917) & Paulina Julianna (1872-1912).

• Eva (nee Flis) & Paul Baumgardt:
  The family left the village of Golzau for Hamburg, Germany where they departed on the 29th of July 1872 aboard the ship "Palmerston", the third ship with assisted and nominated Polish immigrants to New Zealand sent on behalf of the Vogel Scheme. They arrived at Port Chalmers, New Zealand on the 6th of December 1872. The family listed on board ship were Paul 39, Ewa 28, Ewa 7, Kazimierz 4.5, Anna 2 & Paulina 1/12.

In January 1873, Paul Baumgardt accepted contract work with Brodgen and Sons in building the section of the Main Trunk Southern Railway Line on the Taieri. The family were housed in wooden-framed tents at Scroggs Creek (Allanton) , only months later shifting to the settlement of Waihola along with a number of his country folk as the works moved southward.

As listed in the 'Bruce Herald' on the 15th of July 1873, Paul had taken up land grants in the Township of Waihola - approximately 32 km south of Dunedin. He purchased sections 17, 18 & 19 of Block 16 at three pounds each.

• Right: Eva Augustina (Christina) Baumgardt - eldest child:
  

After the completion of the line in the mid 1870's, Paul tried his hand at farming in the Waihola district. Here Paul & Eva had the rest of their family being; August Michael (1874-1951), Mary Maud (1876-1946), Franz (1877-1950), Rosa (1880-1952), Julia (1882-1962) & Eva Martha (1886-1896).

In the 1882 freeholders Paul is listed as owning 21 acres of land to the value of Ł150 in the township of Waihola. While residing here, Paul Baumgardt was naturalised as a New Zealand citizen on the 13th of June 1887, occupation as labourer.

Paul & Eva when in New Zealand spoke only in Polish and German; neither had a formal education, but they ensured that all their children attended Waihola school - most until the age of 14 years.

On the 16th of April 1899, in the township of Waihola, the church of "St. Hyacinth" was opened for worship for the local Catholics. August Orlowski, the local carpenter, helped the builder, Mr. J. Agnew, to do the major work. Later on August did all the repairs himself. Paul Baumgardt also supported and assisted in the building of the church and presented the bell. It's tolling could be heard throughout Waihola calling its parishioners to mass.

• The Family of Joseph & Caroline Bungard infront of the old family home at Waihola:
  In the years before his death, Paul became a member of the Anglican Church. Eva Baumgardt died on the 22nd of February 1908 aged 63 & Paul Baumgardt died on the 14th of July 1923 aged 90. Grave Both are buried in the Waihola Cemetery.

In recognition and appreciation of the hard work and sacrifices of their forefathers, descendants of Paul and Eva Baumgardt held a reunion at Waihola from the 10th to the 12th of January 1986. Over 200 people attended and all branches of the family (Bungard, Wells, Morrison & Wilson) were represented.

Back Row: Julius, Andie, Peter, Eric, William (Bill), and Adam.
Front Row: Davey, Lilly, Caroline (nee Gutschlag), Christina, and James (Jim).

Photos kindly provided by Paul Bungard.

Editorials

Baumgardt Family Tree