When Grandfather Brandstater went to live at Glenorchy our family left Fred Peterson’s farm at Valley Road and took over the original Brandstater home in Springvale. It was here that our last family picture was taken in the year 1900. All were home at the time, even Ernest from New Zealand, where he was employed at the sanitarium at Christchurch under Uncle Arthur. Uncle needed nurses and aides, so invited both Annie and Louisa to join the staff. He sent their fares for the long boat trip, for it was a major move those days. Great preparation was made in the household. Many yards of dress material were purchased in Hobart and Annie made new frocks for all the girls. These are to be seen in the family photograph.
I well remember the excitement of the day they left for Hobart and the ship that would take them away from the family. There was final packing, there was prayer and tearful farewells, for mother could not be taken to see them off, and some of us had to stay behind. Then father went to pick up the fare money which had been put aside. There was no travel agency those days, and it was usually not necessary to book berths in advance. All was ready to go, cart and sulky packed up for the 14 mile journey to Hobart. Then consternation! No one could remember where the money for the fares had been so carefully deposited. Father and the girls hunted in every drawer, searched in every likely hiding place, turned out every box and basket, searched every shelf in every room, but to no avail. What would they do! That kind of money was not readily available those days, and there was no way to board the ship without a ticket. Finally father sent them off while he remained behind to follow by bicycle after he had found the money.
So they said their final goodbyes and left. Father was really troubled and obviously anxious. Someone may have taken the money. That was unthinkable of course, in his own family. But it had come some weeks earlier, and a visitor could have spied it. He went into the living room alone and prayed earnestly for the Lord to help in showing where to look. He rose from his prayer and went straight to the kitchen dresser where there was an old fashioned cruet. There in one of the bottles he found the money. He thanked the Lord, kissed us all, mounted his bike and hurried after the others to Hobart.
It was probably a year or little more when Annie and Louisa returned home on a visit. Annie at the time was engaged to Jack Nielson of New Zealand. I well remember the thrill of joy that came over me when I learned that Annie was coming home. She was my favourite sister and I loved her so much. She was always sweet and kind; never scolded. She was a competent seamstress, and used to make me little suits, and sew for the sisters and others around the district. I never heard her use harsh words to anyone. To me she was an angel. One day she was in Hobart and decided to bring home Louisa’s bicycle, left there for some reason. As she was riding down the hill in Newtown the wheels caught in a tram track and she fell in front of a cart which ran over her head, killing her instantly. This was a sad, sad day for us all, and shook mother terribly. The tragedy lives vividly in my memory after seventy years.
