Carlo's neighbour, Otto Treichel

Otto Treichel was a neighbour of Carlo Catani -  Carlo lived at 39 Blessington Street and Otto at 35 Blessington Street (re-numbered as 61 and 57 Blessington Street in 1935). I first came across Otto when he, Carlo and other neighbours donated money towards a gate for the St Kilda Botanical Gardens (also known as the Blessington Street Gardens). I have written about this here.

Carlo and his neighbours including Otto Treichel, donate towards Garden gates. 

Malvern Standard, April 15, 1916 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66402722

Then recently I came across the following postcard addressed to Otto Treichel at 35 Blessington Street, and given my obsession with Carlo, you can imagine how excited I was to see this card posted to his neighbour. They knew each other, maybe chatted to each other whilst promenading around the Botanical Gardens, maybe had morning tea together or attended the same functions at the St Kilda Town Hall. 

The postcard addressed to Otto Treichel from the Tasmania Philatelic Society

The postcard was sent from the Tasmania Philatelic Society in 1924, regarding Otto's purchases. Postage stamps were a long term interest for Otto, whether his interest was collecting, dealing or both, I cannot say, but I found this advertisement from 1887, where he seeks postage stamps and post cards from Western Australia.

Otto seeks postage stamps from Western Australia

Perth Daily News, April 28, 1887 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article76068742

As you can see from Otto's address he was in South Australia and this is where he began his life in Australia. Johann August Otto Treichel was born in 1854 in what is noted in his Naturalization papers as Doersetnhen, Pomeria, in the old German Empire. Pomeria is actually Pomerania; but his death certificate lists his birth place as Koslin, Pomerania. Otto arrived as a 29 year old, his occupation was a watchmaker, and four months after arrival he was naturalized in December 1883.  His address at the time was c/o J. M. Wendt, Rundle Street Adelaide. (1) Joachim Matthias Wendt had established his Jewellers and Watchmakers business in 1854 and it traded for 150 years until it closed in the late 1990s. (2)

Along with Philately, Otto's other past-time was playing the zither and there are numerous reports of his performances in concerts in South Australia, in both the English language newspapers and the German language Australische Zeitung. (3)

Otto, the zither player

Adelaide Evening Journal, November 18, 1884 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197805174

On July 13, 1884 Otto, the son of Jakob Treichel, married 24 year-old Johanna, the daughter of Jurgen Rix, in a Lutheran ceremony at his house in Kent Town. They had three children - Max Arthur born April 25, 1885; Grete Gertrude Adelaide born April 11, 1893 and Elsa Margot on September 27, 1894. (4)

Otto continued his career at Wendt's Jewellers until 1899, when the family sold all the contents of their house and left  for Europe. Amongst the items which were offered at auction held December 22 were a walnut pianoforte by Stainer of  Stuttgart and a rosewood pianoforte by H.J. Schwart, of Hamburg. (5)

Sale of Otto's Household Furniture and Effects

The Adelaide Advertiser, December 21 1899 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73229401

Otto's business in Chapel Street, Prahran
When the Treichel family returned to Australia they established themselves in Melbourne. As the Prahran Telegraph of February 2, 1901 reported -
Mr. O. Treichel notifies in another column that he has purchased the watch-making and jewellery business lately carried on by Mr. Geo. Roberts, at 173 Chapel-street, Windsor, opposite Savings Bank. Mr. Treichel comes with splendid credentials as a first-class workman, being 17 years with the old-established firm of Wendts, in Adelaide, and 13 years with some of the best firms in London, Paris, and Berlin. Mr. Treichel has recently arrived from the old country with some exquisite novelties in jeweller's art and his window is replete with beautiful opera glasses and clocks. (6)

Otto's shop at 173 Chapel Street, with the large clock on the verandah, between the Druggist and the Ironmonger, c. 1908

State Library of Victoria image H33677/9. 

Initially, Otto and family lived on the premises at 173 Chapel Street; Max, who was an Optician, worked with his father and the two daughters attended Methodist Ladies College. In 1911 the business moved to 197 Chapel Street, Prahran. (7)

Otto's business moves to 197 Chapel Street

Prahran Telegraph, July 22, 1911 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165106125

As with many German born citizens during the First World War, Otto came under suspicion of being disloyal to the Australia and the Empire. He wrote the following letter to the editor of The Argus in May 1915 after the sinking of Lusitania

Sir - As a colonist who landed here in the year 1883, and having given in the same year my oath of allegiance to Great Britain, I heartily endorse the remarks of Mr. C.T. Werner and others. I also wish to express my heartfelt sympathy for the victims of this latest tragedy of the war, and my intense abhorrence of the inhuman methods of warfare as conducted by the German authorities. Trusting that other German Australians who, I feel sure must have the same thoughts of regret and disgust, will come forward and express their feelings in a fitting way. I take this opportunity of enclosing another cheque for Red Cross fund of £3/3/. - Yours &c, O. TREICHEL St. Kilda. May 12. (8)

The same month, Otto wrote this letter to the Prahran Council-

In view of the recent outrages by the German Government, I, as a citizen of long years' standing  in  Prahran feel that I was to express my profound disgust with that Government's warfare and the more recently perpetrated crime of wilfully sinking the passenger steamer Lusitiania. Born in Germany, I left for obvious reasons 32 years go for our fair Australia, took one year later the oath of allegiance to our then reigning Queen Victoria, and it has since been my endeavour to be a true and useful citizen to this my adopted country and wish to assure you of my deepest sympathy and loyal support whenever necessary. (9)

No doubt in response to this anti-German feeling the firm was sold to J.W. Munckton - the father of Otto's daughter-in-law, Marie. This was still not enough to dampen suspicions of disloyalty and in January 1916, the director of  J.W. Munckton P/L, Mr H. Ripper wrote to The Age - 

In view of public sentiment at the present time, we desire to point out that our business belongs entirely to J. W. M.Munckton and myself, both of full British parentage, and that no alien capital whatsoever is used in the business, and that our firm is entirely a British-owned concern. (10)

Yet still in September 1916 the following paragraph appeared in the Mirror of Australia, under the headline - A Choice of Names, suggesting obliquely that the business had a change of name only, rather than a change of ownership.  The firm, however, survived the War Years and J.W. Munckton continued to trade at 197 Chapel Street to the mid 1920s. (11)

Suggestions that J.W. Munckton is really Otto's business

Mirror of Australia, September 9 1916  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105137629

35 Blessington Street, St Kilda

In 1910, Otto purchased 35 Blessington Street and as noted in the City of Port Phillip Heritage Review -

This property, at the east corner of Blessington and Tennyson streets once formed part of the grounds of a house known as Woodlands that was erected prior to 1873 and occupied a large allotment with deep setbacks to both streets. In the early twentieth century the Woodlands estate was subdivided creating building allotments along Blessington Street. Otto Triechel purchased this allotment and in 1910 had this house erected as his own residence. A. Kenley, who was the builder, also carried out ‘brick additions’ to the house in 1919. (12) Carlo's house, Wyndham, 39 Blessington Street, which was built c. 1912 was no doubt part of this same subdivision (read more about Wyndham here.) 

A. Kenley, the builder, was Alexander  Kenley. He was listed in the Electoral Roll, with his wife Clara at Brickwood Street, Elsternwick in 1909 and three years later at Cole Street, Elsternwick. (13)

Otto Treichel's house, now numbered 57 Blessington Street.

Google Street View, 2022

The City of Port Phillip Heritage Review describes the house as - 

Well-detailed, the house has elements demonstrative of the style, including an asymmetrical composition, layered with Queen Anne-style elements of complex hip and gable roof forms clad in unglazed terracotta tiles complemented with terracotta embellishment including ornate finials, ridge cappings, and chimney pots; and a curved bay topped with a candlesnuffer roof. The prominent corner bay positioned at the corner of Blessington and Tennyson streets gives the house a landmark quality.

Other elements, associated with the Queen Anne style are pressed red brick walls and chimneys relieved in roughcast render, exposed timber eaves brackets, groups of timber casement windows, some sashes with Art Nouveau-style leadlighting, and timber fretwork on porches. Contributing to the aesthetic value of the house is its garden setting, making a visual reference to the Botanical Gardens opposite. (14)

 

We are very fortunate that this lovely house is still here as in 1975, then divided into thee flats, it was advertised for auction as a development site. It sold for $62,200. (15)

57 Blessington Street up for auction

The Age, December 6 1975, p. 51 from newspapers.com

The family settled in their home in Blessington Street, which was named Koslin, after Otto's birthplace. The daughters are listed in reports of various social activities. This report, as an example, is from 1912 and involved an 'At Home' at All Saints Hall, East St Kilda -

A most enjoyable "At Home," now popular was given by the Misses Greta Treichel, Elsa Treichel, Gladys Levey, Eva Meyers, Gertie Marks, Stella Marks, Marjorie Hunter, Alma Stubbs, Elma Marks, Vere Tewksbury, to the number of 130, on Thursday evening, July 4th. America's great independence day, which was signalised by the draping of a large American flag over the door. The guests were received by the hostesses at the entrance... (16)

On March 5, 1913 Max Treichel married Miss Margaret 'Marie' Munckton at All Saints Anglican Church, the daughter of John Webber Munckton and his wife Christina (nee White, who died in 1899). As we found out before, John was the man who purchased Otto's business in 1915. The Munckton family home in Williams Road, Windsor was named, by coincidence, Woodlands, the same name as the original house on the land where Otto and Johanna now lived. The marriage of Max and Marie produced two children, Gilda and Geoffrey,  but it did not last and in 1936 the couple divorced, on the grounds of his desertion. By the time of the divorce Max had Anglicized his surname to Trythall. He died on March 18, 1972, aged 86. (17)

In March 1914 the family left for a holiday overseas, as The Herald reported - 

Mr and Mrs Treichel and daughters, of "Koslin," East St. Kilda, left Melbourne by the Imperial German mail steamer, Friedrich der Grosse to-day for Great Britain and the Continent. They expect to be away until the end of November. (18) I'd be interested to know when they returned to Australia, with the start of the Great War adding to the complexity of their touring. 

In 1919, Otto and Johanna's eldest daughter Grete married Colin Leslie McDonald on April 24 at Christ Church, St. Kilda. Colin worked for the firm Berliner and McDonald, crockery merchants. They lived with Otto, Johanna and Elsa at 35 Blessington Street and had two children, Jill and Gavin. Grete died on January 7, 1972 (same year as her brother), aged 78. (19)

A significant event in the life of the family took place on February 10, 1926 when Johanna Treichel passed away.  (20)

Johanna Treichel's death notice

The Argus, February 11, 1926  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3734024

The social activities of the family were still mentioned on occasions in the papers from the 1920s - in 1928 Elsa attended a  Methodist Ladies' College Old Collegians' Club 'At Home' at the St Kilda Town Hall; the next year Otto and Elsa, left Melbourne in the Nieuw Zeeland on a holiday trip to Java and Singapore. (21)

Ten years and one day after the death of Johanna, Otto passed away on February 11, 1936. (22)  Elsa, who never married, continued to live in the Blessington Street house.  She is listed there in the Electoral Rolls right up until 1980, even though, as we saw before, it sold in 1975. It does appear then that house remained in the Treichel family for 70 years (even if I cannot explain why she was living there after it had sold).  Elsa died November 18, 1983 aged 89. (22)

Otto and Johanna are buried together at the Brighton General Cemetery, which is where Carlo and Catherine Catani are buried, so they are neighbours for eternity. 

Trove list - I have created a list of articles from Trove, connected to Otto Treichel and  his family. Access it here.

Footnotes
(1) Johann Augus Otto Treichel - Memorial of Naturalisation - National Archives of Australia  https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3181852; Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and marriages.
(2) https://sahistoryhub.history.sa.gov.au/people/joachim-matthias-wendt/; https://www.jwire.com.au/from-australias-jewish-past-joachim-matthias-wendt-silversmith-extraordinaire/ 
(3) See my Trove list, here.
(4) SA Genealogy - https://www.genealogysa.org.au/ 
(5) Prahran Telegraph, February 2, 1901, see here; The Adelaide Advertiser, December 21 1899, see here.  
(6) Prahran Telegraph, February 2, 1901, see here.

(7)  Sands and McDougall’s Melbourne, Suburban and Country Directories available on-line at the State Library of Victoria (SLV);  Max Treichel's Divorce papers list his occupation as an Optician (see footnote 17 for link);  I am assuming both girls went to M.L.C, based on article in Table Talk, June 28, 1928, see here; Prahran Telegraph, July 22, 1911, see here. 

(8) The Argus, May 14, 1915, see here.

(9) The Argus, May 18, 1915, see here.

(10) The Age, January 17, 1916, see here.

(11) Mirror of Australia, September 9, 1916, see here.; J. W. Munckton was listed in the 1925 Sands and McDougalls but not the 1930 edition. 

(12) https://hdp-au-prod-app-pp-haveyoursay-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/4516/5276/3361/57_Blessington_Street_St_Kilda_citation_no._428.pdf
(13) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(14) See footnote 12

(15) The Age, December 6, 1975, p. 51; The Age, December 8, 1975, p. 20 -  from newspapers.com

(16) Punch, July 11, 1912, see here.

(17) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and marriages; report of the marriage - Table Talk, March 27, 1913, see here; the Treichel Divorce file can be read at the Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV) here - 

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/ED3497A8-F379-11E9-AE98-E56900AD6EFF?image=1  Max - death date from Probate listing at PROV.

(18) The Herald, March 21, 1914, see here.

(19) Marriage notice - The Argus, June 7, 1919, see here; Colin's death notice - The Argus, October 25, 1940, see here; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Grete's death notice - The Age, January 10, 1972, p.10.

(20) The Argus, February 11, 1926, see here.

(21) Table Talk, June 28, 1928, see here;  The Herald, June 14, 1929, see here.

(22) Death date from Probate listing at PROV;  Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Elsa - death  notice - The Age, November 23, 1983. p. 62.