More thoughts on names

Overnight I have clarified my thoughts about the name. It must be a clearly non-Prussian name because I want my family to have to leave Marburg because they are not Prussian. If the father has fought with the Austrians against the Prussians, then that gives my family motivation, but only if they cannot fit into the new regime. So either they need to be able to be clearly identified as non-Prussian or at least as having fought against the Prussians, or I need to introduce another motivating factor. I’m making the assumption here that “push” factors would be stronger than “pull” factors given how little would be known about Queensland.

On the other hand, if they came to Queensland as assisted passengers with the promise of land once they arrived, maybe that would be enough of a “pull” factor. I don’t want to relinquish the dramatic tension though of having a highly convincing reason to leave Marburg.

I have a great list of family names of original settlers in the back of the publication German Settlement in the Rosewood Scrub. On scanning the 300 or so names, I am amazed by how many are familiar: my children’s school friends; neighbours; the garage that services my car; street names; the guy who has called the Marburg Dance for fifty years; several local builders; the grain merchant; a Queensland cricketing family; families from church; a local trucker; and stalwarts of community organisations. This is why I need a non-local name. My quality of life might be damaged for years.