German Missionaries in Australia

Dear Rev Fr. Droste,

just a few lines to let you know that we have not forgotten you, our dear and good father........... It must be terribly cold by now in Germany. ..... ²⁴

[Sibosado]

 

 

Convent of St John of God, Broome, NWAust. 20^th October 1929

 

Very Revd. and beloved Father Droste,

Our warmest heartwishes and greetings for your 25th Jubilee, also for the very happiest Christmas possible to your Reverence while absent from ‘dear old Beagle Bay’. ...

Words fail me when I would tell you how we miss you ‘Ibal’. In every place and time. God send you soon and safely home. Bishop or Rector you will be Ibal to our hearts for all time. Very Rev. Fr. Raible has marvellous command of the English, and is most gentle and helpful but the conditions under which you, each, took up this work are the poles asunder in comparison.

Wherever we went, south, or West Australia, we were besieged with loving messages for your Reverence and never an empty hand. ....²⁵

 

Convent of Saint John of God, Sacred Heart Mission, Beagle Bay, Nov. 25/1929

Dear Ebal Droste,

We received your most welcome loving letter we were all very happy when we read the letter from our own deal Ebal who is so far away from us all we do miss our own dear Ebal it seems years since you went away we don’t ever forget you in our prayers especially at holy mass and also we make novenas [nine days of prayer] for you that God Almighty may spare your life to live amongst us we know you have done plenty for us we hope that you will be amongst your dear black children well dear Ebal we have three big Drysdale boys and two little girls the one is the girl that’s standing in the photo with the men of sixty and the little girl of six. Their names are Mary and Naulben. Henry Jacob and John they are used to us all we have great fun with them they came from Drysdale by the Koolinda with a lady Father Thomas will be coming after Christmas he sent us some photos of Drysdale the men and women all miss you very much they wish you would be back again in dear old Beagle Bay and also Dorothy Sampie will be getting married soon to Nicholas. We will miss her very much.

Well dear are all wishing you a happy Christmas and a bright New Year. We are very sorry you won’t be here for Christmas so dear Ebal we have to close our loving letter with love to you we wont forget you in our prayers that God may send his graces and blessing on you on Christmas night.

We remain your black aunties Fedelis V Jarwin A Josephine John B Susena Angie Christina Dorothy Sampie and Isabella Longleg Mary Carmel Anselm.

Kind regards to you from Sr M Mathew she is back with us

 

 

I think if you come back to Lombadina you will get well again black doctors are better than white ones they can clear out the sick more quick. You must bring us plenty of pants when you are coming back our pants break themselves and sister growls us, Sister says we want pants of sheet iron. Do boys in your country break their pants? ....

your loving child Joseph

 

... Lombadina is getting like a city. We have a new butchers’ shop, a big one a cart shed a girls dormitory is to be built soon. We are all well. All the old ladies have their hair bobbed now like the white ladies they are spinning belts for their wambas. Would the white wambas in Germany like one? All the wambas send love and kisses to you for a Christmas box.

Your loving child Gerard

 

 

Fr I am now in Lombadina and I like Lombadina very much. ..... you wont know me when you come back, the place does me good. Every Sunday and feastdays we go on picnics, every sundays. Fr August [Spangenberg] take us out sometimes we go hunting for kangaroos with Fr or for flying foxes. You wont know Lombadina it has changed a great deal, Fr Augustine has put up some new buildings .... The men are boring a new well in the farm, already they have the surface water, it is going to be called Saint Raphaels well.

your loving child Agnes Emble

 

 

 

... we would like to send you bush fruit and some lizards but they might smell another kind and postman would not look after them. I think you will be too proud to eat bush tucker when you come you will be wanting white mans tucker. ....

your loveng child Mary Bernardine

 

 

... Brigid Patricia Mary were nearly drown in the sea, Father swam after them. Papa and the men are making a new well in the farm. We all pray for you every day. We like to see you come back. ..... Sometimes we go to see Coppa coppas, the old ladies dance and put roses in their hair to make them look young and beautiful but they still look like old potatoes.

Your loving child Lissy Sibosado

 

 

... My little baby sister died . I hope you will be coming to see us soon, we will all run half way to meet you .... A big shark nearly killed us on Saturday.

Your loving child Eva

 

 

... last week Sampy got six turtles. We were sorry to hear you were sick you must come back to Lombadina and Dr Sadbow will make you good one. Little girls like teasing Sadbow properly he get wild with us. Good buy God bless you always.

Your loving child Elizabeth

 

 

... we hope you’ll be able to come back to us soon we are longing to see you back I suppose Mary Kaspar dont want to let you come back we must all go with noules spears and kaleys to bring you back. .... We had a pet emu we wanted to keep it till you come back but William broke one of his leg so we killed it nobody couldent stand to see the poor emu suffering we made William to kill it. .... Kind regards to Mary and Kaspar [Kasparek], ...

from your aunties Dorothy Alice Nellie and Teresa O

 

25 Nov 1929, Sacred Heart Mission, Beagle Bay

... we have two new girls from the Drysdale, Mary and Ivy they came just few days ago and three boys also ..... and the two girls from Pender Bay are here also , Margery went home and Dorothy is staying here, she seems to be very happy. Poor Margery cried so much when she left. Sister Margaret took our photo this morning with the hockey sticks ... poor father Healy didn’t stay with us long he left last month, we were fond of him, we suppose the climate wasn’t good for his health poor father, yet he was so very fond of blacks we were all very sorry of his departure

Your grateful children Wilhelmena, Jud, Isabella Lilly Josie Jeromine, Ottilia,

 

 

Beagle Bay Nov 9^th 1929,

My Dear Rev Father Droste,

I have received your kind letter I was so pleased and also the children they read the letter and start to cry. They read the letter over and over.

Your faithful friend Lily McCarthy

 

 

11 Nov 1929, SHMBB,

Dear Father,

we all thanking you ever so much for your kind letter which you wrote to us we were all glad to get it. ......

Seas and distance count for naught, our first thoughts, and our kind remembrance, to our fond Ebal W Droste,

Remember us to Auntie Mary and Uncle Kaspar [Kasparek]

we remain yours

Aunties Agnes Carmel Dorothy Josephine Christine Judy Angie and Elizabeth and Victor

 

 

Dear Ibal William Droste,

... sorry to say that Rev Father Healy left us and also our dear little Brother Kasprick [Kasparek] he went to Mullewa and also Rudolf [Zach] went to South and Mr and Mrs Dewar leaving for good, and we have lots of little children in the colony newly born. Marjory’s parents are here they came with their motorcar ... We had visitors from Broome Mr and Mrs Norman and also Sophia came with them stayed here for a week and also Mr and Mrs Everets and the children they just came the place looks very dray [sic]. Mary Visitation and Agnes Emble are in Lombadina. Alice and Judy came back from Lombadina. We have lots of nice games Mother Margaret taught us how to play new games hockey airball diamond ball, childen’s tennis footbal and we have a new game of football we mustn’ touch the ball with our hands only with our shoulders and our feet and our heads its really a funny game we do like it very much we never goes out on a picnic ...... I suppose you heard that Marcella and Imelda are in Broome Hospital Doctor Hynes took them with him. ....

Though I cannot grasp your hand

greetings from a far off land

wishes and remembrance true

from a hearts remembering you

goodbye dear Ibal ... give our love and kisses to Auntie Mary and kind regards to Uncle Kaspar [Kasparek] and a big love and keys for yourself. ... and kind regards to you and good wishes from Father Benedicit and the Brothers,

we remain your housekeeper your loving aunties Carmelina and Wilhelmena

 

 

29 Oct 1927 Convent School Lombadina

Dear Ebal Droste

.... when you come back you wont know us we are getting big fat and ugly. ... Please Father you must come back to us. ...

I remain your loving child Philomena Sibosado

 

Nov 20^th 1929 SHM BB

Our dear Father,

we have received your kind and loving letter, and was very pleased to hear once more from our absent Ibal. ....

before we got your letter we heard that you was sick but we hope our dear Lord will spare you to us. ....

Ludovina is here at present ... she had gone to Broome to work for Capt Gregory, also Bernard on months of May and now she is here at present she told me to tell you that Br Kasprick [Kasparek] told Bernard to work at Gregory’s and so she had to go too, her baby girls you know little Mary Scholastica, is as bold as brass and she is growing to be a big girl now. ...

William Watson is here and he is taking Marjory away now and leaves another little girl, Dorothy is her name. .....

As we think its time we should wish you for the Xmas is drawing near perhaps we may not live to see it so I think its better to wish now at present. ...

excuse me for pencil writing. I did not know that the people wrote their letters yesterday nobody told me that until this morning and the mail is going today so excuse dear Fr in a geat haste,

we remain your grateful friends, Mr and Mrs S Victor!

 

Sacred Heart Mission, Beagle Bay, July 1929,

Dear Revnd. Father Droste,

..... what did the people in Germany think you were when you first arrived many of them didn’t recognise you even your loving sister Mary ....

we two are still together in the same house till the old men come home again. .... I think you can remember Johanna’s little girl that she left behind well she’s dead few months ago also Taylor David’s girl died on the feast of St Monica. Pena has a baby boy born two weeks ago his name is Raphael. ...

Love and regards from Cyril and Rita

Mrs Murphy and Mrs Smith

 

 

SHM, BB, July 22^nd 1929,

Dear Revd Father Droste,

.... since you left here there were many deaths took place and some new babies came, I will give you the names on the other side. To tell you the truth, the place quite empty without you, we thought our eyeballs would come out from crying for you. ... We have those two new brothers here, they came safely, Br Paul [Ratjaski] is going down to Mullewa very soon. Sr Margaret and Xavier are back brought plenty things for us. Last Sunday 22 children were confirmed by Fr Raible [Bishop]. Rudolf [Zach] hasn’t been too well. I had to do he baking for over a month, Augustina Roe will be here on September, all going well with us ...

The new Brothers find and feel the cold very much, so when you coming back please Father bring us a coat each. ....

Fr Benedict is very good to us and he is the very one to be in the store, we have fun with him.

[Carmel Marshal and Jessie Talbot]

 

 

died:

fat Paddy,

old Lucy,

Monica, David’s girl

Eda, Issacs

Annie Irwin

Lonsia Corpio

old Juliana

Winnie

Cranky Ned

 

21^st July 1929 SHM BB

Dear Father,

your kind letters has reached us safely. ......

Well dear Ibal, the new Brothers are here we are glad to have them, they are very strong they don’t talk much, very silent, when they came there wasn’t any welcome given to them because they came during the Benediction Rev Fr Raible came too. He had some children confirmed on the 14^th of this month ....

[Stannie and Rosie]

 

 

SHM BB 18^th July 1929

Dear Father Droste ,

...... Fr Raible came to confirm some children in Lombadina and another lot in the mission they had a party in the school Fr Raible was in it. Carmel and Papa were the Godmother and father they had such a great day. They thought they were in heaven. ....

It is very cold now and we dont like to come out of our beds till they pull out our blanket. Pena has a little boy name Raphael and Appolonia has a little girl name Teresa ....

Your fond child Teresa Wan

[annotated: ‘replied’]

 

Convent School Sacred Heart Mission, BB 17 July 1929

Dear Father Droste,

..... Sister Margaret brought plenty of presents for us, we were glad to get the coats, because it is cold. Father, since you left the Mission so many died. Fat Paddy, Winnie, Juliana

[second page and signature missing]

 

SH Mission BB,

Nov 24, 1929

... we hope that you nick is getting beter ...

dear Father remember as to Father Bischofs tell him that we never forget him. Give our best wishing to him of cause not forget him, and tell him that I am steing [staying] in old shape yet. I suppose if he do remember that he was a Father that he put me in the Blacksmith shop. So now ai am 26 years in the shop ever since I suppose he has forgotten me altogether I also think of him in my memory and also in my prayers. .....

I hope you’ll put me out of the shop when you are coming home. ...

May God bless you and spare you a long live to do some more good for your dear blacks, so now farewell dear Ebal, ...

yours sincerley, auntie, uncle Mr Mrs Dan

NB: We have 3 quinnie Womba and 2 quarrie girls from far away bush we know where from Drysdale Mission I hope you wont be frighten when you see them? Julie Teresa Vera Bennie and Martie send their wishes to you and to your dear Brothers and Sisters

Mr and Mrs Dan,

 

 

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