Centralian Advocate (Alice Springs, NT) - Friday 13 April 195158491

LATE MR. G. A. JOHANNSEN
Gerhardt Andreas Johannsen,
who died suddenly in Alice Springs
on Wednesday of last week came
to the Northern Territory first in
the year 1909 — and remained here  
to work and rear a family.
Born in Denmark in 1876, the
late Mr. Johannsen came to Aus
tralia in 1901, and for some years
worked at his trade of stonemason
and builder, in South Australia.
He married there in 1905, and
came to Hermannsburg four
years later. He remained at
Hermannsburg until June, 1911,
and while based on Hermannsburg
built the police station at Arltunga,
and one at Alice Well, near Char
lotte Waters.
In 1911 Mr. Johannsen took up  
Deep Well station, and while
pioneering that property he did
much contract work for the Gov
ernment of the day. He left Deep
Well in 1929 — after the worst
drought in the history of the  
country had.driven him from his  
holding.
Life was not uneventful for the
Johannsen family at Deep Well,
however. In about 1918 Mr.
Johannsen acted as guide to Sir
Baldwin Spencer and Sir Keith
Ward — two eminent geologists, in
a wide survey of the country. He
remained their firm friend for the
rest of his life.
Mr. Johannsen also acted as
guide to the famous explorer Val-
demar Steffansson, when he visit
ed the fringes of the Simpson
Desert (not then known by that
name) many years ago.
In 1927 Mr. Johannsen suffered
an illness at Deep Well, and his
sou Kurt (since famous for his
exploit of flying a plane from Lake
Hopkins to Haasts Bluff on 'half
a propeller') drove his father by
truck over nearly 50 miles of road
less country to Alice Springs to
secure medical assistance. Kurt
was then about 11 years of age !  
Mr. Johannsen pioneered the
first motor mail service to Arltunga  
in the early '30's, and later became
interested in gold mining at Win-
neke. There he suffered a severe
accident which contributed mainly
to his decision to retire.
However, during the war years
he again took an active part in
things, and engaged in mica min
ing at Harts Range and Strang
ways Range.
At the time of his death, how
ever, his interests were confined to
public affairs, and he was well
known as a man who could be
counted upon to give practical and
— if necessary — financial support to
any project, which he really be-
lieved to be for the betterment of
the town or the surrounding area.
He was a foundation member of
both the Alice Springs Progress
Association and the Alice Springs
Community Club, and at the time
of passing, was actively engaged
in attempting to re-establish the
Community Club on a working
footing. He was also a member
of the committee of management
of Griffiths House, and an ardent  
worker for Methodist Church
affairs. His interest in children
generally was typified by a will
ingness to exert himself in any  
cause which espoused the good of
the younger generation.
He is survived by a widow and
five children, Elsa Margaret (Mrs.
W. Petrick), Trudy (Mrs. Alan
Hayes), Kurt, Mona (Mrs. D. H.
Byrnes) Randall, and Myrtle (Mrs.
Noske). All of his children were
able to be present at his burial,
which was one of his dearest wish-
es fulfilled.