German Missionaries in Australia

Hubert Beldermann came from a large family and worked on the Neckar riverboats, obtaining a masters certificate at age 25. He joined the Pallottine Society in 1932, at was 28.¹

In June 1939 he left for Australia with Fr. Leo Hornung and was posted to Beagle Bay, where he was arrested and briefly interned in Broome in October 1940 together with the other Pallottine staff. Due to intervention from the archbishops they were placed on parole, and several of them were allowed to remain at Beagle Bay from 5 January to 27 March 1941. During this period, possibly on the return journey from the mission, Beldermann was involved in a car accident in which he and Fr. Vill sustained severe injuries. Fr. Herold, Fr. Hornung and Br. Müller were sent to Kew on 2 April 1941, but Fr. Vill and Br. Belderman had to delay their journey south.²

When travel restrictions were lifted Br. Beldermann was posted to Tardun in 1948, to assist in a massive building programme, relocating and re-erecting several large RAAF barracks with Brothers Hanke, Halder, and Ochsenknecht. When they finished building five dormitories, a school, kitchen, cool-room and various smaller buildings, they all went to Perth.³Beldermann left for Rivervale (Rossmoyne) on 5 August 1949, where he worked until 1954. Later he assisted at the theological training houses at Strathfield (1957) and Manly (1958) before he was placed back in mission work at Beagle Bay (1960) and Wandering Brook (1960-69).

He was allowed to holiday in Germany in late 1969 and decided to remain there, now age 65, and no longer in good health. He died of a lung complaint nine years later.⁴