SS Friedeburg at an unknown port in 1873
The Friedeberg was quarantined at Peel Island in the same year
Photo courtesy of Bob and Bev Buchanan
From family history research by Stan Marquardt
Extract from "Exiles of Peel Island - Quarantine" by Peter Ludlow:
Later in the same year, The "Friedeburg", sister ship to the "Lammershagen" was also quarantined at Peel. (The second of her four visits to Queensland between 1871 and 1884 carrying immigrants.14
The Brisbane Courier of August 21st succinctly noted on her arrival that she was a "ship, 818 tons, Captain Kopp, from Hamburg, 375 immigrants".
A passenger aboard the "Friedeburg", one of the Gurski family, has left the following more explicit resume of the events after the "Friedeburg" arrived in Queensland:
"At 1.30 a.m. on the 21 st August 1873 Dr Challinor, the Government medical officer boarded the "Friedeburg". He found that Auguste Vorpagel, 2 years old, had died of Scarlet Fever only five days previously and that the last patient from that disease had been discharged from hospital the very day the ship had entered port. Dr Challinor declined to grant pratique a until he had reported the matter, and left the visiting flag flying. He visited the ship later on in the day and found that a fresh case of scarlet fever had occurred that morning. He immediately recommended that the ship be placed in quarantine. At daybreak on the 24th, the "Friedeburg" was towed to Peel Island by the tug "Kate".
"Sub Inspector James Wassell and 2 Constables supervised and helped the landing of stores onto the island. Wassell then marked out a place for Constable Johnson to pitch a tent and left him on the island to enforce as much as possible the strict observance of the quarantine regulations, telling him to communicate with him should any breaks occur. Wassell was stationed on board the hulk "Proserpine" b on Moreton Bay from which he could visit Peel regularly.
"On August 25th 1873, Peel Island was proclaimed a quarantine station c, while the "Friedeburg" was there, with James Hamilton, Superintendent at Dunwich, as Superintendent of Quarantine.
"About 40 of the single men first pitched tents while the rest
washed themselves and their clothing. The married people were then sent to do likewise.
Some of the ship's fittings had been landed on the island, and were being used on the
tents. When Hamilton discovered this, he ordered the lot to be taken away immediately and
burnt. There were only two cases of serious illness on the island. Matilda Kluck, 6 years
old who had ulcerated bowels and chronic diarrhoea, and her older brother, Auguste, who
had contracted Scarlet Fever the day the ship entered port. By the 29th the captain was
able to report that the ship had been thoroughly cleaned and fumigated and (was) ready for
inspection. On the 31st the ship's crew were inspected, released from quarantine, and
admitted to pratique.
(More information can be found on the CD ROM "Moreton Bay History")