From Møn to Australia

This is Rhonda Jensen´s story about her Grandfather Jens Peter Jensen, who was born in Udby near Stege in 1886 and died in Narrogin in Western Australia in 1970 aged 84 years.

My Grandfather Jens Peter (I put both of his Christian names because in Denmark he was known as Jens and in Australia as Peter) left Denmark some time between 1903 and 1904 because he had heard of Gold in Western Australia. On his arrival in Fremantle Western Australia, the Immigration Officer he spoke to talked him out of it and he worked on 3 different farms one in Waroona, one at Burges Siding (between York and Northam) and the final one near Beverley.
After all that he "brought" a block and finally finished paying for it in about 1943 (approximately), in the newly opened area of East Dorikan some 40 miles (60 kilometers) east of Narrogin. In 1914 he married Rachel Brown (the sister-in-law of his neighbour William Jarvis.), they had six children - Christine 1915 (on their wedding anniversary), Fredrick John (his Danish Grandfather´s name backwards and Anglised) 1916, Vida 1919, Walter (known all his life as Jim) 1921, George 1923 and Petra 1927. They worked the property and the children attended the East Dorikan Primary School until it blew away in a freak storm in 1935, then Petra did the last 6 months of her schooling walking 9 miles to Tincurrin. Grandfather sold the farm to Jim (my Father) in 1948, and he then farmed it until he sold it in 1983, with an agreement with the new owner to lease the farm house and 150 acres of land. We stayed there until my Mother passed away in 2001, Dad died in 1999. With Mum´s passing saw the Jensen family leave the now Tincurrin District after 94 years.

In my Childhood I enjoyed the company of my Grandfather when he came to visit as he had only moved about 9 miles away near Toolibin and then 7 miles to Wedin. He did not teach his children or Grandchildren any Danish, due to a unfortunate event when speaking about his family, and by the time his Grandchildren came along he felt he could not accurately teach them the language.

I had the privilege of meeting his 2 surviving siblings in Denmark in 1978 my Great Aunt Augusta and her husband on Falster, and my Great Uncle Theodor in Klintholm Havn. Theodor was very like my Grand Father and my Aunt Christine was very like Augusta.

I would be pleased to hear from anyone of my family in Denmark. (Unfortunately I know very little Danish but I am willing to learn.)