Maurice Joseph Halberstater (Charmichael and Halberstaedter) 
Maurice was born on May 16th, 1863 in Rockhampton, Qld delivered by Nurse - Mrs Brown.1 Birth Notes
Maurice was born 16th May 1863 at Mt Brewer (Rocky Qld).
His mother is listed as Ann Carmichael, 26 years, from Armagh, Ireland. (born in Ireland about 1837)
At that time his father was 31
On his Marriage certificate, his mother's name/maiden surname was Ann Teamon
Qld Birth Cert No. 1863/C956 states that the birth of Maurice CARMICHAEL was registered in Queensland, in 1863. His mother was listed as Ann CHARMICHAEL and his father is not nominated.
Although on the actual birth certificate, 1863/956B, his father is listed as Adolph HALBERSTAEDTER.
His parents were not married at this time. Maurice's family name was listed at the time of his birth as CHARMICHAEL but was later changed to HALBERSTATER.
Qld Birth Cert No. for...
Maurice Carmichael
Event date: 16/05/1863
Event type: Birth registration
Registration details: 1863/C/956
Mother: Ann Carmichael
also listed...
Maurice Hulberstaedter
Event date: 16/05/1863
Event type: Birth registration
Registration details: 1863/C/956
Mother: Ann Carmichael
Father/parent: Adolph Hulberstaedter
Death Notes
Qld Death Cert No. for...
Maurice Halberstater
Event date: 23/11/1938
Event type: Death registration
Date of birth: 1863
Registration details: 1938/C/4788
Mother: Ann Carmichael
Father/parent: Adolph Halberstater
The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld.) - Thursday 24 November 1938 - DEATHS
"HALBERSTATER, Maurice.— At his residence, 'Wongalee,' Mt. Morgan, on November 23rd, Interment Mt. Morgan Cemetery, 4 p.m., To-day."
Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) - Thursday 24 November 1938 - News Item...
"DEATH OF MR M. J. HALBERSTATER
Mr Maurice Joseph Halberstater, the well-known grazier, of Walmul, and brother of Mr L. Halberetater, of Mount Morgan, passed away in the Mount Morgan Hospital yesterday afternoon after undergoing an operation. His funeral will move from the Sacred Heart Church this afternoon for the Mount Morgan cemetery."
Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld.) - Saturday 3 December 1938 - News...
"LATE MR MAURICE HALBERSTATER
The death of Maurice Halberstater recently removed one more of the old pioneers of the Central District. Born at North Rockhampton in 1884, he spent his boyhood days in that town, but as a young man determined to go farther afield in the north and north-west of Australia.
In 1884 he was with the first Costello expedition that selected country on the Roper River and also with the pioneer squatters who stocked the Northern territory.
Many were the tales he told of that interesting life and the long droving journey to Burketown, with only one shop, and on through the Tableland to the territory, dry spells, and the troubles in the northern tableland country in those days owing to scarcity of water. Unless stock were shifted in time the retreat would be cut off, for there were dry stages impossible to traverse, resulting in disaster and appalling losses. Blacks were treacherous and bloodthirsty. An old bald warrior, Murrimicki, let no white man pass who could be killed with safety. Floods, fires, and losses of cattle from dingoes and crocodiles came in the course of cattle life in those early days.
Once wet weather made the country impassable and cut them off from supplies and civilisation for months. Stores ran short and they were without even flour and salt for six weeks. Nearly everyone got scurvy, but they pulled through.
In the Never Never he became a judge of cattle and horses.
When the Kimberley goldfield rush broke out in Western Australia Mr Halberstater started with 600 bullocks for the diggings. Red water wiped out half of them, but the balance brought £26 per head.
Returning to the haunts of civilisation, Mr Halberstater ended his days of roving and took up stocked land and commenced grazing.
In 1908 he married Miss O'Donnelly, of Emerald, and lived in his native district until his death. In addition to the Wongalee homestead, for many years he held country in the Banana and Theodore districts and was a member of the Banana Shire Council for nine years.
He is survived by his widow, one daughter, Mamie, and three sons, Kevin, John, and Bernard. John is following in his father's footsteps and carrying on grazing. Mr Louis Halberstater, of Mount Morgan, is his only brother, and Sister Mary Joseph (Leah May Halberstaedter), of the Presentation Convent, Mount Morgan, is a sister."
Maurice had another sister, Anna HALBERSTAEDTER, who married Michael Healy, of Mount Morgan.
The Courier-Mail - Monday 5 December 1938 – Obituary…
"MR. M. HALBERSTATER
Mr. Maurice Halberstater, aged 74, whose death occurred at Wongalee, near Mt. Morgan, was a member of the Costello expedition which selected land on the Roper River, Northern Territory, in 1884. He had many exciting experiences with blacks In the Territory in those days and encounters with floods and crocodiles. When the Klmberley goldfield rush broke out in Western Australia Mr. Halberstater left with 600 bullocks for the diggings. Redwater wiped out half of them, but the balance brought £26 a head. In 1908 he married Miss O'Donnell, of Emerald, and lived in his native district until his death. In addition to Wongalee homestead, for many years he held country in the Banana and Theodore districts, and was a member of the Banana Shire Council for nine years. He is survived by his widow, one daughter, and three sons."
Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld.) - Saturday 26 November 1938 - Mr Morris Halberstater...
"The funeral of the late Mr Morris Halberstater, which moved from the Sacred Heart Church, Mt Morgan, yesterday, was a representative one. Friends from Rockhampton, Callide, and Dawson Valley were present. The Rev. Father Tiernan read the service at the church and graveside.
The deepest sympathy is extended to Mrs Halberstater and her family in their sad loss."
Mount Morgan Cemetery records state that "Maurice Joseph HALBERSTATER, aged 74, died on the 23rd November 1938 and was buried in the Mt Morgan Cemetery, Roman Catholic section, on the 24th November 1938. It listed his occupation as Grazier"
General Notes
Electoral roll 1903/05 - Maurice Halberstater (grazier) was living at Mt Morgan Hotel, Central Street, Mount Morgan, Qld
Electoral roll 1913/36 - Elizabeth Margaret (home duties) and Maurice Halberstater (grazier) were both living at Wongalee, Walmul, Mount Morgan Qld.
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From: Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre...
"Name/Title: Maurice HALBERSTATER (aka Halberstaedter), b. 16 May 1863, Mt Brewer, Qld., d. 23 Nov 1938, Mt Morgan, Qld.
About this object: Not much is known of Maurice's early life, except that he developed a great love of horses, which his father bred. An article on the Rockhampton Carnival in the Morning Bulletin some years ago mentioned Maurice, aged 14,- "proudly leading his father's black stallion". It has been said that horses sensed his kindness and responded to it. Maurice left school at 13 and became a drover.
John Costello was a well known pastoralist and explorer who was responsible for the settlement of much previously unknown land throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory. In 1861 he took up runs on the Burdekin and the Nicholson River in the Gulf.
He secured 'Lake Nash', a large holding in the north-west near the Territory border, and a massive area further north around the Roper River.
It is not known when Maurice started working for Costello, but in May 1884, he was in a party of men who took 1,700 head of cattle and horses on the long overland journey from 'Cawarral' to the Roper when Costello sold his central Queensland interests. Maurice at 20 was the 'horse hunter', travelling separately and fully responsible for over 100 horses, as well as several belonging to the stockman.
One night, a few bells, could be faintly heard making steadily off in the distance. The horse hunter, thinking of next morning's muster hurriedly finished his supper and then jumping bareback on the nearest colt, cantered off..... the cracking of his stock-whip sounded fast and furious...... With every crack of the whip, old 'Charlie the German' shouted encouragement. "Goot boy, Maurish. Give it to dem." Maurice was congratulated on his speed in returning the wanderers. "Dey vant der tails flogging of dem," said old Charlie. "By de vay, vot vones vos dey?" The horse hunter grinned and said, "They were those three old devils of yours." A change flashed over Charlie's face and he wrathfully exclaimed, "Vot in de 'hell.you flog de poor beggars for? You is a cruel brute." The wild and uproarious laughter drowned out old Charlie's indignation.
Blacks were troublesome, and the men carried guns for protection. Maurice kept a Colt revolver he had used during that trip. After two horses had been speared during a night attack, nervousness spread through the camp. "A bunch of (blacks) could make a cove look like a pin cushion", one of them worried. Jacob, the cook, was especially frightened and reported every day seeing numbers of 'wild (blacks) who went like lightin' and disappeared like magic", which no-one else saw.
In Burketown, the party met up with Costello's brothers-in-law, the Duracks, who were camped there enroute to the Kimberley in W.A. Costello and his men finally reached Roper River just ahead of the Territory's 'wet' about Xmas 1884. Patrick Costello says of his father's droving trip, "It wanted a superman's knowledge of the bush - nerves of steel, mental clearness and determination and a physical stamina and endurance possessed only by an exceptional man".
From the late 1850s most of the land in central Queensland belonged to a relatively small number of pastoralists. With the rapid increase in the population of Queensland in the latter half of the century, more and more land was required for closer settlement. Under the Crown Lands Act of 1884, lessees could consolidate all their land into one lease, a long term lease would then be granted on about half the area and the Crown would resume the remainder.
Maurice and his brother, Louis, took up blocks in the Mt Morgan area when part of the old 'Calliungal' Station was thrown open around 1889. The brothers eventually acquired large tracts of grazing lands in the Mt Morgan and Buneru areas where they ran cattle and bred pack horses.
Louis commenced a butchering business in Mt Morgan in partnership with McLaughlin of Rockhampton. In the late 1880s, Maurice was head-stockman on the Archer Brothers' 'St Helen's' Station in the Emerald area.
In 1903 and 1904, Maurice was back droving large herds again. The late William (Bill) Nott of 'Greycliffe' wrote several letters to his mother, mentioning 'Halberstaedter' - "A man well over six feet tall, with a long drooping moustache and a ten-gallon hat". Others remember he was bald and never without a hat, but a ten gallon?
Maurice was on the road for months, getting mobs of 1,000 and 1,300 from 'Hidden Valley' and 'Mt McConnell' in the Bowen area. Despite his life on the road Maurice still had time for courtship, and three ladies have been mentioned as courting partners. It was on one of his droving trips that he was introduced to Lizzie O'Donnell, his sister Leah's school teacher friend. At 44 years of age Maurice, who gave 'Grazier' as his occupation, married Elizabeth Margaret O'Donnell in the Catholic Church, Emerald, on 1 Ith November 1908. The name 'Halberstater' appears for the first time on their wedding certificate.
The couple moved to his property near Walmul, Mt Morgan. They had four children, but because of his life style and his age, Maurice was not really a family man. Most people remember that he worked his children very hard, and was gruff, he gave them very little money but he did pay their bills. Bill remembers that his father was hardly ever at home as he had acquired several large properties between the Upper Dawson and Mt Morgan and was always on the road moving cattle. On 'Wongalee' he bred stock horses and beautiful ponies in the days of horse drawn vehicles. His XH9 brand ponies were very good ones and were very popular.
Although Maurice loved his horses and used them for his stock-work, he had a passion for motor cars. He was the first person in the district to own a car, a 1914 Studebaker. "When a car was bought the agent spent several days teaching the owner how to drive and service the vehicle. Maurice, who was used to horses found it difficult to get used to applying the brake, instead of pulling back the reins. He attempted to put his car in the shed. He went in the front, forgot to put his foot on the brake and went straight through the back wall".
Maurice was elected to the Banana Shire Council twice when the first of the three year terms was introduced in 1921, when the Council met in Banana. He was not a member for the 1927-30 term but when the Shire office moved to Rannes in 1930 he was elected for another two terms. His last council meeting was 17th April 1936 having served a total of 12 years.
On 23rd November 1938 he died following surgery in Mt Morgan Hospital aged 74 years. He was buried in the family plot at Mt Morgan cemetery. "He was quiet in manner with a dry sense of humour, was very often grouchy but under the grouchiness, he had a kind heart." He appears to have been like many of those old drovers - fiercely tough and independent.
Maurice did not share much of his past with his children and his grand-children never knew him. Research has revealed however that he had a very interesting life. In an effort to present a true-to-life character, several sources of written and oral history and official documents have been used to collate the above history.
Subject and Association Description
Ancestors: Grandparents: - Louis Halberstadt married Ann Lansberg
Parents: Adolph Halberstater married Ann Feran (or Carmichael)
Siblings: Anna, Leah
Married: 11 Nov 1908, Emerald, Qld.
Spouse: Elizabeth Mary O'Donnell
Children: Mary Elizabeth (Mamie), Kevin Maurice, John Joseph (Jack), Bernard William (Bill)
Resided: 1880 - St Helens, Emerald, Qld.|1889 - Wongalee, Walmul, Mt Morgan, Qld.|1903 - Greycliffe, via Biloela, Qld.|1908 - Wongalee, Walmul, Mt Morgan, Qld.| Coorabulka, Camboon| Gelnian, Nipan| Tallawana, Banana
Object number: USH00584"
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Ancestor Pedigree Chart
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- b.1725 in Halberstadt
- b.15 Jan 1752 in Halberstadt, Germany d.1834
<Unknown>
- b.08 Dec 1803 in Militsch, Schlesien, Prussia d.07 Mar 1869 in Militsch, Schlesien, Prussia
- b.1715
- b.1740 d.28 Jul 1802 in Breslau, Schiesien, Poland
<Unknown>
- b.14 May 1764 in Militsch, Schlesien, Prussia d.06 Dec 1817 in Militsch, Schlesien, Prussia
<Unknown>
- b.1831 in Milisch N.E. of Breslaw Silesia Prussia d.08 Mar 1897 in Bushley Playfair Westwood District
- b.03 Dec 1803 in Wroclaw, Poland d.26 Dec 1882 in Breslau, Schiesien, Poland
- b.16 May 1863 in Rockhampton, Qld d.23 Nov 1938 in Mount Morgan Hospital, Qld
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Details of Maurice's family with Elizabeth (Lizzie) Margaret O'Donnell
1 Birth Certificate
2 Newspaper Funeral Notice
3 Cemetery Records
4 Death Certificate
Further source/citation:
Gravestone
2 Newspaper Funeral Notice
3 Cemetery Records
4 Death Certificate
Further source/citation:
Gravestone
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