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After many years in East Prussia, one of the family of six, Brandstaters all, decided they must make another new start somewhere else. Two young parents plus four children sailed out of Hamburg in 1871, and crossed vast oceans to the distant, primitive island of Tasmania. This was no civilized kingdom, ready to welcome them, and their future depended on the initiative, hard work and family commitment of a capable farmer-carpenter, husband and father named Emanuel.
The earliest references to the Brandstater name are found in records of families living in the Salzburg area in the early 18th century. There are up to 30 variations of the spelling of the name, including Brandstäter, Brandstaedter, Brandstatter and Brandstadter. These families were members of a large population of Protestants living outside the city of Salzburg, working as laborers in the Hallein salt mines near Salzburg that were an important part of the local economy, or on farms in the Alpine valleys around Salzburg.
Collinsville is a small township located in a picturesque valley 12 miles from the city of Hobart, Tasmania. It is 6 miles inland from the north Hobart suburb of Glenorchy, and is completely surrounded by hills and mountains. Access to the valley is via a winding road over Pierce’s Hill, a steep hill that for the early settlers made transportation into and out of their community a difficult challenge.
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