Gotthilf Frederick Unger was born in 1841 and lived in Nuremburg, Germany. He came to Australia in 1861 on “The Dorothea” and settled in the Manning at Bungay Bungay. John Michael Unger, his brother, had previously arrived in 1855 and was also settled there. Gotthilf married Elizabeth Daintree (Daintry) in 1866 in the home of her parents at (Little Dingo) Dingo Creek in the Manning Valley and went on to have 10 children between the years of 1867 and 1889. The children were John Francis, Margaret (Hogan), Annie Amelia (Crittenden), Catherine Agnes (Crittenden), Samuel Joseph, Charles Michael, Augustus James, Frederick Thomas, Mary Mabel (Baulman) and Leonard Theodore. Elizabeth’s father John Daintry was from England and was a Convict who arrived in Australia on 26 October 1835 on the Convict ship “Henry Tanner” at the age of 14. (When he arrived in Sydney he was sent by the boat “The Sirius” in quarantine to Glenthorne wharf at Nelsons Bay. From there he was marched to Stroud along with the other convicts who were destined for work with the Australian Agricultural Company). Elizabeth’s mother was Margaret McCormall born in 1826 in Ballybagh County, Ireland, daughter of Patrick McCormall and Kate Connelly. (Margaret came to Australia with her uncle Peter Connolly and was listed as a domestic on ships’ papers.)
From Dingo Creek (Little Dingo) the family, all but John, came to the property called “Mountain View” at Upper Lansdowne. From what is recorded it would have been the year 1891, when Samuel was 16 years of age, when he and his father came to clear the land. A small home was built down towards the creek. The later home was built further towards the main road to Comboyne.
John spent part of his early life on Oxley Island and while residing in the Lower Manning he married Emily Jane Bignell. At the age of 30 he took up a property at Wherrol Flat (previously called Little Dingo) and developed it into a splendid dairy and agricultural farm, specializing in the breeding of Ayrshire cattle.
Many of the family excelled in sport and were recognized for their prowess on the cricket field playing for Upper Lansdowne. A tennis court was always in use on the family property. Sunday was a special day at the Ungers’ and the children had to prepare Sunday dinner, under the watchful eye of Granny (Elizabeth) Unger, for all the people who came up to the Ungers’ for a morning of tennis after Mass.
Many of the family married and moved on to various locations. Two of the girls Catherine and Annie married two Crittenden brothers, George and James; Charles’ first marriage was to Catherine Agnes Royan daughter of James Royan and Mary O’Hara of Johns River. Charles and Catherine had 3 children – Allan, Eileen and Catherine. When Catherine was born in July 1911 her mother Catherine Agnes died. Charles remarried in 1916 to Barbara Schubert and lived at Central Lansdowne. Augustus married Beatrice Barlin and settled next door to “Mountain View”. They did not have any children. Frederick married Hannah McLaughlin and after living for some time at Upper Lansdowne and working as a carpenter, they moved to Sydney. Fred helped build the Upper Lansdowne Catholic Church and the ceiling in Taree Catholic Church. Leonard also lived at Upper Lansdowne on a farm after his marriage to Theresa Curley.
Samuel was the one to stay on the farm at Upper Lansdowne. He married Mary Ann Royan in 1905, sister of Catherine Agnes (wife of Charles) who also died in childbirth at the age of 33. Samuel and Mary had 6 children: Elizabeth Mary (Hogan) born 1905, James Frederick born 1907, Hilda Jane (White) born 1908, Bernard Michael born 1910, Veronica Maud born 1911 and Stanley Andrew born 1913. Veronica became a nun and entered the St Joseph’s Order at Lochinvar at the age of 18 and remained there till her death in 1998. Four other members of the extended family of Gotthilf and Elizabeth also joined various catholic orders. Stanley was a schoolteacher at Coffs Harbour when WW2 broke out. He enlisted in the RAAF and attained the rank of Flight Sergeant. He was killed on active duty in the Middle East on 1 June 1942 aged 28 years.
Samuel married a second time to a local girl, Kathleen Payne, the daughter of Alexander Payne and Mary Anne Quinlivan of Upper Lansdowne. Samuel and Kathleen went on to have a further 8 children: Sam, Kathleen, Margaret, Mary (Kilmurray), John Daintry born 1923, Gerard, Alexander Alwyn born 1929 and Augustus Adrian.
Gotthilf Frederick Unger died on 10 November 1924 aged 82 and was laid to rest in Lansdowne Cemetery. Elizabeth died on 18 July 1935 aged 92 and was laid to rest with her husband.
Written by Sister Margaret (obtained from Wingham Museum)