Conrad and Louise (k/a Louisa) came to Australia presumably to establish a new home and begin a new way of life for themselves.
They arrived in Sydney on board the “Alster” on 25 August 1862, just five months after their marriage, having departed from Hamburg, Germany, on 16 April in the same year. Shipping records list Conrad as a labourer and his former residence as Roeddenau.
It could be imagined that the voyage would neither have been very pleasant nor very comfortable. The “Alster” was an old sailing ship. A total of 34 passengers, and crew of 14 under Captain Bruhn, were on board with Conrad and Louisa, including the Garske family – Johann, Frederika and three children, and Johann Groth. They were also early settlers of the Barraba district. Also recorded was J. Weber – possibly a relation of Louisa
The “Alster” sailed via the Cape of Good Hope – the Suez Canal was not opened until 1869. It has been recorded in German history that the hardest and most dangerous part of emigration was the voyage on the sailing ship. Emigrant sailing ships at the time were small. The space between the upper deck and the cargo hold was the emigrants’ normal accommodation. Conditions, including hygiene, and quality of provisions, ie. food, were generally not good.
Steamships actually came into use in 1856, but throughout the 1860’s sailing ships were still much in use for emigration purposes. It is interesting to note that the “Alster” perished just three years after Conrad and Louisa arrived
in Australia.