Krushka Family History & Genealogy

Esther (Trimble) Krushka was born in 1850 at New Zealand, and died at age 27 years old in 1877 at Mathinna. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Esther Krushka.

Whilhelmina was born onboard the sailing vessel Wilhelmsburg a few weeks prior to the ship arriving in Hobart Town (1855) Van Diemens land. Her name was not added to the ships passenger manifest which created a problem issuing a death certificate at Richmond Tasmania. Three year old Wilhelminia died when her health suddenly deteriorated whilst walking home from a weekly shopping trip to Richmond on a very hot summers day. Johanna (her mother) with the help of the other children had to carry her for about 3 miles of the 5 mile trip. The doctor from Richmond was called but she died that night of suspected heat exhaustion or TB. Wilhelmina is buried in a unmarked grave at Richmond, Tasmania. She was named after the ship she was born on.

1875 With 1 pack horse Charles 24, Frederick 22 and Christopher 16 set out along the banks of the Dorset River prospecting. On April 22 1875 with the young Christopher leading & his two elder brothers following with the pack horse he turns right at a sharp bend in the Dorset and follows a tributary (Main Creek) uphill with the intention of getting a better view of the surroundings from higher ground.Christopher notices a glint in quartz rock on a sharp escarpment and calls his brother. On the information gleaned from George Renison Bell they realised they have discovered quartz bearing tin. They staked it out and named it Black Boy. 1875 The town of Bothers Home (later re-named Derby) In April 22 1875 with the young Christopher leading & his two elder brothers following with the pack horse he turns right at a sharp bend in the Dorset and follows a tributary uphill with the intention of getting a better view of the surroundings from higher ground.Christopher notices a glint in quartz rock on a sharp escarpment and calls his brother. On the information gleaned from George Renison Bell they realised they have discovered quartz bearing tin. They staked it out and named it Black Boy. 1875 In October Charles, Frederick & Christopher were prospecting along the banks of a small creek east of Derby (Main Creek) which runs into the Ringarooma River in the Cascade Valley. Here they discovered and stake a mining claims on a rich load of alluvial tin which they named Brothers Home Mine etc. Realising the alluvial tin was washing from a rich vein further up the riiver they moved up the river and found the main lead at the junction of Brothers Creek and the Ringarooma River. Wilhelm had decided to prospect on his own and he found tin in the same area and established the Lone Brother claims. Sam Diprose is appointed Mine Manager of their numerous mines as they were established. Sam later marries Louisa Krushka with George Renison Bell as best man. When the Krushka brothers discovered the alluvial tin they contacted their now lifelong friend George Renison Bell (Little Bell) who along with other friends stake out further claims along the creek. 1875 On the advice of George Fry (the first farmer to be granted land in Upper Ringarooma) Christopher purchases 2000 acres of land stretching from George Fry's property(Sunnyside) at Ruby Flats to south of the Dorset River. This land includes the land on which Ford View sits as his father was only squatting on the land at the time. Christopher names this large parcel of land North View and over a period of time he builds a 27 room home which includes a bakery etc. Christopher hires William Gill a friend from Richmond as farm manager. William later marries Augusta. The brothers all established horse race tracks on their properties and hold regular community race meetings, picnic days & balls. Christopher Krushka purchased race horses and on a annual basis goes to the Melbourne Cup . He had success with his horses and in 1894 his horse (Amadeus) wins both the Hobart & Launceston Cups. Christopher was very generous with his money and threw the Launceston Cup from a hotel balcony to the crowds in the streets below. He was later to loose his wealth when he sold his share of the mine, his generosity and the approaching WW1 and world wide depression. Christopher established the town of Krushka Town (renamed Ringarooma) by setting up a store, hotel and donating land & building the first church. He set aside part of property & subdivides it into town blocks. The land where the family Fairveiw homestead once stood was later taken back by the goverment of the day and a school was built on the land. Today the Ringarooma Area School stands where the Fairveiw homestead once stood. 1882 In January the Governor Sir George C Strahan in the town of Krushka with the intention of naming it Strahan. He stays in the largest house in town (North View) and after a night of merriment departs without proclaiming it Strahan. The discovery of tin in and around the Cascade River Valley in the 1800's by George Renison Bell, the Krushka Brothers and others leads to the rapid development of farms & logging in the North East and the towns of Brothers Home (renamed Derby) Krushka Town (renamed Ringarooma) & Krushkas Bridge (renamed Moorina. The original port town of Ringarooma at the mouth of the Ringarooma River was renamed Boobyalla. Mining, dredging, logging and land clearing along the length of the Ringarooma River created major siltting at it’s mouth resulting in the loss of the town and port. Derby: The area had been surveyed in 1855, but was not settled until 1874, Krushka brothers discovered a large lode of tin, and set up a mine (named The Brothers Mine) in the area, assuring the town's economic future. The town was originally known as Brother's Home until renamed Derby (believed to be after Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom). Brother's Home Post Office opened on 1 August 1882 and was renamed Derby in 1885. Derby reached its peak in the late 19th century, when its population reached over 3,000, and the Brothers Mine (renamed the Briseis Mine after the winner of the 1876 Melbourne Cup) was producing upwards of 120 tonnes of tin per month. On 4 April 1929, the Briseis Dam used by the mine burst after heavy rains and the Cascade River flooded the town, killing 14 people. The mine was closed, but re-opened five years later although it never reached the same level of output as it had in the last century and closed in 1948 The Briseis Dam Disaster resulted from the bursting of a dam constructed on the Cascade River above Derby to supply water for hydraulic tin mining operations. Following unprecedented rainfall of 450 millimetres during the previous two days, on 4 April 1929 a deluge of 125 millimetres fell in one and a half hours on the catchment area above the Briseis Dam. The resultant flood broke the dam, and a huge wall of water surged down the river valley towards the town, engulfing several houses and other buildings and pouring into the workings of the Briseis Mine. Fourteen lives were lost, including one family of five who were sitting down to a meal when their home was carried away. Senior Constable William Taylor was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal and the King George Medal for bravery in saving eight stranded miners

Louisa Joanna (Krushka) Diprose was born in 1860 at Richmond, Tas to Johanna "Jane Louisa" Clocke Kruschke and Christian Kruschke, and has siblings Christopher Krushka, Fennit Kruschke, Wilhelm "William" Kruschke, Augusta Freder Kruschke Gill, Charles Matthew Kruschke, Frederick Kruschke, Wilhelmina Krushka, and Miene Wilhelm Krushka. Louisa Diprose married Samuel Frederick Oliver Diprose, and has children Roy Diprose, Ruby Gladys Diprose, Una Edeline Diprose, and Emy Diprose. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Louisa Joanna (Krushka) Diprose.

Emily Rosa Krushka was born in 1879. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Emily Rosa Krushka.

Christopher Krushka was born in 1879 to Christopher Krushka and Alice Krushka, and has siblings Aimee Krushka, Edith Krushka, Walter Krushka, Alfred Krushka, and Winifred Krushka. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Christopher Krushka.

William is commemorated at Ypres Memorial, Belgium Menin Gate panel 29 Rest in Peace Lest We Forget

Edith Krushka was born in 1881. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Edith Krushka.

Walter Krushka was born in 1883. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Walter Krushka.

Alfred Krushka was born in 1885. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Alfred Krushka.

John Krushka of Shickshinny, Luzerne County, PA was born on October 13, 1885, and died at age 81 years old in October 1966.

Aimee Constance Krushka kept a very good diary of the Kruschke / Krushka history. The information is based on information supplied to her by her Grandfather (Christian) and her father (Christopher) whilts she lived at Northview, Ringagrooma. The diary was converted into a book (Goldengrove Unleaving-revised) and the last person to have her diary was her great life long friend, Bartlett Adamson. Parramatta, NSW. Aimee was commemorated on a headstone the Booroondara Cemetery on the 3rd July 1920 under the name of Annie Constance Tregar along with Ray Tregar (killed in action) France April 10 1918 Rest in Peace