The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) Wednesday 26 September 192384998

"WHEN ADELAIDE WAS
YOUNG"
A Centenarian's Retrospect.
Pioneering Days Recalled.
The years do not always exact their
full toll of humanity. Sometimes there  
are 'old-young' people, who seem to  
have kept green the memories of their  
youth. Such a one is Mrs. Christine    
Lankenau, who to-day celebrates her
100th birthday.
Rich in recollections of hard times con-
quered, and of haying contributed her
share towards the pioneer working of the
State, Mrs. Christine Lankenau is a happy
old lady. To-day she will hold quite a
reception of relatives and friends, at Tor-
rens Park, for she is now privileged to
take her place in the ranks of the cen-

(photo)

MRS. CHRISTINE LANKENAU.

tenarians. It Is 84 years since this in-
trepid migrator from Klausthal, in the
Hartz Mountains, made the long journey
to Australia. A married sister had already
essayed the trip, and young Christine,
whose health was not good, resolved to
join her sister and try the effect of a
warmer climate.
"I need say no more about    
whether Adelaide suited my health or
not", Mrs. Lankenau, with a smile, yes-
terday, "seeing that I still keep so well
and not behaving a bit as if I could put
three figures for my age."
Certainly no one would credit the old
lady with such scores of years, for she
is physically active, mentally alert and
can hear splendidly. In the course of a
chat with a representative of The Regis-
ter on Tuesday, Mrs. Lankenau regretted
that now she could no longer read the
newspaper for herself, but it was read to
her, and she took a keen interest in cur-
rent events. She resides with a married
granddaughter, Mrs. Mansfield, at Torrens-
Park, and the finely built old home of
two stories, in its picturesque garden
seemed a fitting abode for one who had
so well withstood the hardships of eight
decades age. Mrs. Lankenau showed the
reporter her favourite balcony, where  
she takes daily exercise and loves to look
out over the wonderful view of the coun-
tryside extending to the blue of the sea.
"t was evidently meant  
that I should settle down in South Aus-
tralia," said the centenarian, with a smile,
"for when I landed at Port Adelaide,  
feeling very longly, a tall. fine-looking
sailor helped me ashore, and looked after
me — my sister not being there to meet me.
Later, after the boat had gone, I was
snrprised to see him again. He confessed
that he had fallen in love at first sight
with me, and had deserted from his ship.
At first I did not feel inclined to fall in
love, too, but he was so kind and thought-
ful that I consented to, get engaged, even
though I was so young— only 16. Two
years later we were married at Holy
Trinity Church, and I had to drive in in
a spring cart, and was glad to get a lift
that way. In those times, with the bul-
lock tracks, and no made roads, one either
had to travel in clouds of dust or in awful
mud."

The Gospel of Contentment.
In spite of hardships spoken of, work
ing from, early until late, to help
keep the home together, and  
rearing a large family— Mrs. Lankenau
has wonderfully preserved her good looks.
She is a fine looking old lady, with a pink-
and-white complexion, clear blue eyes,
and a soft mass of white hair to crown a
handsome profile. Photographs taken of
her in her prime reveal a very handsome
type of woman. When asked what were the
greatest troubles of the earlier pioneering
times, Mrs. Lankenau said that at first
she was frightened of the blacks who re-
sided all round the city, protected by the
forests of gum trees. But gradually she
found that they were not so fearsome as
they seemed, and responded to kindly ad-
vances. They were described as huge
men and women, very different from the
present stock. The primitive houses also  
took some getting used to, for mud huts
were the order of the day for the poorer
section of the community. Mrs. Lankenau
resided at Alberton during the first years
of her married life, and then the couple  
moved to Camperdown, and later to Glen
Osmond. Subsequently Mr. Lankenau
tried his luck at the Victorian diggings,
but was not very successful. Gradually
more colonists arrived, and quite suddenly,
Hindley street became a busy centre, and
the city then extended its buildings and
erected more imposing premises.      
Just then there was a faint scuffling on
the staircase. Mrs Lankenau leaned for-
ward' and said, "Unless I mistake, that is
Bob coming to see us." The door was
gently pushed open and in walked a fine
type of collie dog. Obviously he was  
on the happiest of terms with the centena-
rian, for they 'shook hands,' and went
through quite a number of formalities.
"Have the years seemed long to you"  
asked the interviewer.        
"No, never," was the emphatic reply.
"Always I was busy, being fond of work—
which was just as well," and a merry laugh  
was heard, "and since I have had to keep
quieter there are many friends and my
own people always coming to see me.
And, in between, there are memories of
all these days of long ago. Sometimes,
when I think of riding in bullock drays
and of being bumped down because the
wheel rolled off, and nowadays I hear the
trains go whistling by, or see an aeroplane
flying over the house— I wonder if this
is all the same world I used to live in.
Any way, I am not one of those who
are old-fashioned. It is nice to see such  
wonders, and also to know that the    
younger generation won't have to face
hard times. Not that I minded
them," added this true philosopher. "We
were happy and we had enough, so what
more could one want?"      
Mrs. Lankenau has been a widow for
27 years. She thinks she has about 200
descendants. There are six in the surviv-
ing family— Messrs. Charles, John, and  
August Lankenau, and Mrs. K. Wallos-  
check (all of Adelaide); and Mrs. Mary
Boord and Mrs. Caroline Clarke (both of  
Melbourne).

The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) Monday 15 October 192384996

A CEXTENARIAX
DEATH OF MRS. CHRISTINE
LANKENAU

Pathetic interest is attached to the
death of Mrs. Christine Lankenau, a cen-
tenarian, which occurred on Saturday.
Mrs. Lankenau, who celebrated her hun-
dredth birthday on August 26, had enjoyed
excellent health and had always declared
that she would see the century out.
She appeared quite well on her birthday,
but on the following dav she became ill.
and her condition gradually became
weaker. Mrs. Lankenau, who was born
at Clanusthal, in the Hartz Mountains, Ger-
many, came to South Australia when 16
years old. Her faculties remained unim-
paired till the time of her death, and her
mind was a veritable storehouse of re-
miniscences. She could recall clearly the
wonderful 'goose fairs' of her youth.
Then the flocks of geese were shod with
tar and sand in order to fit them for their
lone journey to the markets. The voyage
to Port Adelaide was undertaken in search
of a married sister, but when she reached
her destination there was nobody to meet
her, and the young girl was quite alone
in the new country. She used to relate

(photo)

Mrs. Lankenau.

bow she sat tor bours, a forlorn little
figure, on her box on the rough wharf,
waiting to be claimed. A situation at if
a week as a domestic helper was offered
her, and this she thankfully accepted.
Soon afterwards she went to live with
Captain and Mrs. Tapley. who were well-
known figures in the State in its earliest
days. A few weeks after her arrival Mrs.
Lankenau journeyed once more to Port
Adelaide to meet an immigrant ebip, and
a handsome young sailor who helped her
on to the narrow gang-plank promptly
deserted from his vessel in order to pursue
his courtship of the pretty German girl
whose wealth of golden hair and blue eyes
and pink and white complexion made her
a notable figure for many years. The
couple were married at Trinity Church,
and the young bride took so long in dress-  
ing that when they reached the church
it was Iong past noon, and as marriages
could only be solemnised in the morning
the wedding had to be postponed until the
next day. Soon after her marriage Mrs.
Lankenan went to reside in Ackland-street.
There were a number of aboriginals about,
end, in common with the rest of the other
white women, Mrs. Lankenau, whose hus-
band had gone to the Victorian gold dig-
gings, was very frightened of them.
After Mr. Lankenan's return from the
diggings the couple started in business in
a small ehop in Rundle-street near the
Tavistock Hotel. They sold fruit and
vegetables, and the old lady stated that
she always had to be ready to dart out of
the shop when she heard the crack of
Mr. Cobbledick's whip in order to be first  
at the gardener's trolly, for there were
no facilities for marketing them. A board-
ing-house on North-terrace opposite the
hospital site first, and later almost facing
the Botanic Garden gate, was another
business venture. About eight months ago
Mrs. Lankenau was taken for a motor trip
round the city, and was able to pick out
many old landmarks among their un-
familiar surroundmgs. Although she had
spent 81 years in the State. Mrs. Lanke-
nau had never travelled farther north
than Jamestown, to which place she paid
a brief visit many years ago. Several of
her grandsons served in the A I F during
the Great War. and the old lady knitted
manv scores of pairs of sooks for the
soldiers. Until quite recently she was able
to sew and read, and when her eyesight
no longer served her in these directions,
she insisted on having 'The Advertiser'
read to her every day, in order that she
might keep abreast of the time. Mr.
Lankenau died 27 years ago, and for the
past 12 years the old lady had lived with
her devoted granddaughter, Mrs. Mans-
field, at her home at Torrens Park.
The names of her surviving children
are. — Mrs. Mary Boord (Melbourne). Mrs.
Caroline Clarke (Melbourne), and Mrs. K.
Walloscheck (Hackney), and Messrs.
Charles, John, and August Lankenau, all
of Adelaide. It is computed that this fine
old colonist leaves more than 200 descen-
dants.

The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) Tuesday 16 October 192384999

THE LATE MRS. LANKENAU.
From the Rev. FREDK. WEBB. The
Rectory:—In your obituary notice of the
late Mrs. Lankenau it is stated that her
age was 100 last month. There is I
think. a mistake in the reckoning. This
is not uncommon in the case of pioneers,
as I know from experience, when asked
to search our records. When the press
notices of Mrs. Lankenau's wonderful
career came out some time ago, I looked
up the marriage entry, and found that
she was 30? in 1867?. According to this    
Mrs. Lankenau was 96 on her last birth-    
day. There ran be no reasonable doubt
that she knew her age at the time of her
marriage. I had hoped that this grand
old lady would have been spared until
1927. when it would have been a great
pleasure to hold a service on her hun-
dredth birthday in the church where
she was married. God has willed it    
otherwise. He has called her into His
own presence chamber.