The groups we have in the book will change a lot as now we have to include all of Samuel Nuske's descendants into Christian Nuske's tree as he was the son of Christian Nuske. 

Also I have just found out that the Gottlieb Nuscke who is in the first group in the book is actually Gottfried Nuske and he is a brother to Johann Nuske the Hotel owner and farmer from group five. When these two are combined it will be a very large tree.

 In August the group of us who went to Nekla had a re-union at the Little Desert Lodge just out of Nhill.  Colin and Betty Huf actually found and brought along the hand written hymn and music book which belonged to Christian Nuske the school teacher. I knew it was somewhere here in Australia and it was actually in the Lutheran Archives at Tarrington in Victoria which is looked after by Betty and Colin.

 Will send you a couple of photos of Mary Cooper and myself holding it.  This book would have come to Australia on the Heloise probably by Samuel Nuske.Christian was Mary Cooper's and my G G grandfather and also would have been yours.  Pictured at right is Ron Nuske holding the book.

The Following Article is from The Lutheran of the 26th June 2006 as explained by Pastor Colin Huf.

The quest to trace family roots has gained amazing momentum in recent years. Accompanying this infectious pursuit, though, is often the unwelcome discovery that many records, documents and cemeteries, especially in Europe, did not survive the ravages of war and invasions.

This seemed to be the case for the Huf family as we searched for family records from the Nekeilka (formerly Nekla Hauland) region, east of Pozan in Poland. In October 1846 my great-great-grandfather Johann Huf and his family left Poland in order to emigrate to Australia, together with eleven other families from the Nekla region. They arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia, on board the Heloise in March 1847. Little was known of the life and circumstances of these families that led to their decision to relocate to Australia.

In 1996 a search by Polish historian Professor Marlen Walczak, on behalf of the Huf family in Australia, uncovered documents relating to the Lutheran congregation of Nekla Hauland, located seven kilometres from Nekla. The records revealed the tensions experienced by the Lutherans over the payment of state taxes, building their church and the running of the school (with 159 Catholic, Lutheran and Jewish students) by just one teacher. While this was an exciting find, little was discovered concerning individual family records. The documents did include a list of farmers and their leases payments, but details of the location and area of land farmed were not found. It was assumed they were destroyed during the two world wars.

For people striving to piece together family histories, it is the specific family information about location, land area, old building sites and ruins that is so keenly sought. For the Huf family it seemed that the discovery of this information was not to be. Then there was an astonishing turn of events. In preparing for its 600th anniversary celebrations, the residents of Nekla posted an open invitation on the town's web site. They were seeking descendants of the 'great group' of German 'evangelical' families who had emigrated to South Australia in 1846 (Lutherans were known as 'evangelicals' in that part of Poland at that time). During World War II the remaining Lutherans in the region were forced to flee from their farms and had never returned. As a result their cemeteries had fallen into disrepair. The website explained that the parishioners of the Catholic Church of the Apostle St Andrew in Nekla were 'tidying up the places of an eternal sleep of the evangelical brothers'. The process of erecting markers on the graves, constructing new crosses and caring for the cemeteries was the Catholic congregation's 'sign of our Christian solidarity', the website statement explained.

The community invited Australian descendants of the emigrant families to join them in the celebration of Nekla's 600th anniversary and to visit the resting places of their forebears. It was an amazing twist. For years we had been searching for this missing piece of the puzzle - and here were the residents of Nekla searching for us! It was too good an opportunity to miss. Twelve Australians attended the anniversary celebrations in June last year (2005) as guests of the town of Nekla. Representing the Huf, Maczkowiack, Nuske and Zadow families were Mary Cooper, Colin and Betty Huf, Darrel and Helen Maczkowiack, Peter Nelson, Ron and Pat Nuske, Howard and Muriel Thiele, Jason Thiele and Anne-Marie Burchall.

The invitation stated : 'We would be honoured if we could be your host during the celebration'. That was no false promise! We were treated like royalty by our new Polish friends. We were invited to three civic receptions hosted by town officials and given the opportunity to speak at various other functions. Everywhere we enjoyed the hospitality of the locals and their love of food, drink and singing around campfires. Highlights of the anniversary celebrations were visits to the eight Lutheran cemeteries that had been located, cleared and tidied up by the members of the Catholic Church of the Apostle St Andrew. The close proximity of these cemeteries to each other indicated just how concentrated the Lutheran settlements had been in this area. Cemeteries are very important to the Catholics in Poland. There was a real sense of responsibility and remorse for the damage and deterioration that had taken place in the Lutheran cemeteries following World War II. Every effort had been made to restore existing headstones and to piece together broken ones. To see Lutheran cemeteries being cared for by Catholics was a humbling experience, especially when you knew your own ancestors are buried there somewhere.

(Pictured at right is the Old Lutheran Church, Nekla - Hauland. You will note the bell is missing and is now located in the Roman Catholic Church in Nekla. Colin Huf climbed up inside the church and took a photo of it)

A special ceremony, including the blessing of the new cross, was conducted by the Nekla Catholic priest in the Nekla Hauland cemetery. I was given the opportunity to dedicate the cross as 'a sure sign of the resurrection for those buried there who died in the Lord'. Similar crosses were erected at each of the other restored cemeteries. Then followed the unveiling of a plaque with the words, 'In memory of Lutheran brothers...', which is fixed to the wall of the old Lutheran Church at Nekla Hauland. The church had been deserted ever since the Germans fled from Poland as the Russian Army advanced, towards the end of World War II. The building is being restored for use as culture and arts centre. We were treated to a wonderful concert in the old church, followed by a community outdoor banquet.

The 600th anniversary service held in the Nekla Catholic Church was led by the Archbishop of Gniezno, Henry Muszynski. I was (Colin Huf) given the opportunity to read one of the Bible lessons. In his address the Archbishop said : 'We are glad to have here with us our brother, Colin Huf, a Protestant Pastor, representing his forefathers, who had lived here in this land, who prayed with us and participated in the same word of God (but) but not having eucharistic fellowship. Today we are being brought closer together through our common prayer'.

At the end of the service he asked us to extend greetings from himself and the residents of Nekla to all the Australian descendants of German families who emigrated from the Nekla district. For me the most exciting moment of our visit to Nekla came when the research fibdings of Jerzy Osypiuk were revealed to us. Jerzy had searched the Poznan archives and had found Nekla Hauland land records of the German farmers. The documents included the details for over 40 family names. Some of the familiar names now found in Australia are Benz, Hausler, Herrmann, Huf, Jeske, Krieg, Leske, Lindner, Menzel, Mibus, Muhlnickel, Neumann, Nuske, Pfeiffer, Richter, Seifert, Semmler and Zadow.

From these records it was possible to identify and walk on the farm of my great-great-grandfather and enter the old cellar in the foundations of the house built almost two centuries ago. Today the 23 hectare farm is owned by a dairy farmer. The milking cows are housed all year round. The farm is used to produce grain and hay, which is harvested and stored to feed the cows. The owners of the house block live and work in Berlin and are restoring the house as their summer holiday residence. The original house foundations laid down by my Huf ancestors are still being used for the restoration that was underway at the time of our visit. My wife Betty and I were made very welcome by the owners of both the farm and the house block.

It is difficult to put into words the experience of walking where one's great-great-grandfather walked over 150 years ago on the other side of the globe. Betty and I hugged an old linden tree in front of the house. We walked over a large section of the farm and we lay down on the green pastures. I scratched in the dirt and ran the soil through my fingers. I tried to imagine my ancestors doing this many years ago, especially as they said 'farewell' and in faith journeyed for over five months to Australia. If only the tress and foundation stones could have talked to us!

I (Colin Huf) share our story of the discovery of our ancestral home as an encouragement to anyone searching for family records from Poland and Germany. Don't assume that all records have been destroyed and lost. It may just take the right person to look in the right place.

Colin Huf is an ordained Lutheran Pastor but is working as a consultant on the mineral health of soils and humans. he and his wife Betty are members of St Michael's Lutheran Church, Tarrington, Victoria. Colin has copies of the land records of all the family names listed in the article. Anyone interested in obtaining them is welcome to contact him : 03 5572 4959, colinhuf@bigpond.com

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* Note : Nekla is about 40 kilometres south east from Poznan on the road to Warzaw. Click below for location. Ron and Pat Nuske had the privilege of visiting most of these towns in June 2005.

Click here for Map of Nekla

General Information : The commune of Nekla is situated in the heart of the Wielkopolska region, in the poviat of Wrzesnia. The commune covers the area of 96.2 km2. The town is along the national road no.92, and its southern part is crossed by the A-2 motorway, whose junction is also along the Berlin-Moscow railway route. The commune has currently 6,670 citizens, including 3,300 citizens of the town of Nekla.

Economy : The commune is significantly diversified in the scope of major fields of economic development. In the southern part, agriculture is dominant. In towns located along Road 92, there is well-developed trade and services activity; while the southern area of the commune, covered with forests, has tourism and settlement functions. In general, there are about 400 business entities in the commune of Nekla and nearly all of them (98%) are private property.

Culture : The centre of the local cultural life is the Nekla Cultural Centre (NOK) and the Town and Commune Public Library. NOK is a place gathering numerous associations, organisations, clubs, music bands, dancing groups and choirs. The Library lends books and has a reading room for children and adults. The commune organises many cultural and entertainment events, which helps to integrate the local community. Many of the events are organised in a picturesque setting of the palace and park in Nekla. The most interesting events include "Summer Beginning - Wreaths", "Summer End", "Doznki", "Fair" and "May Picnic".

Tourism : The northern part of the commune of Nekla is particularly attractive for tourists, mainly owing to its natural and landscape qualities. The forests and forest settlements are near "Promno" Natural Landscape Park and "Okraglak" Natural Reserve, very attractive for tourism and leisure. Part of the commune belongs to the natural landscape protection area of the "Valley of Cybina". Within the commune, there are 11 sites listed in the register of historic monuments, as well as numerous churches and manor houses. There are also interesting sites of agricultural landscape, including precious habitats of high trees in manor houses or village parks in Nekla, Targowa Gorket, Mystki, Podstolice and Opatowko. There is also the Piastowski Route crossing the commune, which also enhances the development of hiking and bicycle tourism in the area.

Sports : The commune has very well developed sports facilities, including sports halls (such as modern sports hall in Nekla finished in 2003), a full sized football pitch, school football and handball fields, a beach volleyball field and a tennis court, table tennis rooms, a gym and a certified sports shooting range.

Education : In the territory of the commune of Nekla, there are three Primary and Secondary School Complexes and an independent Kindergarten in Nekla. What is more, there are kindergartens in the schools in Targowa Gorka and Zasutowo.

	HELOISE 1847 The HELIOSE (476 tons) under Captain Jan Beckmann, left Bremen on October 12, 1846 - a ship chartered by Eduard Delius (the emigration agent for South Australia in Bremen) and arrived in Port Adelaide, South Australia on March 17 1847. It had five passengers in the cabin; and in the steerage 62 male adults, 38 married women, six female servants and 103 children. The ship was well provisioned with provisions, and even potatoes were served out to the passengers for 50 days after sailing. Cargo of the HELOISE, from Bremen - 10 pieces battens, 140 planks, 2 piano-fortes, 2 cases and 1 package, 40 cases wine".
	Nuremberg (Bavaria) September 1846. A few days ago a very affecting scene took place here, which deserves to be generally made known with all its particulars. A number of friends and fellow-students accompanied Dr. Bayer to this place, who purposes establishing himself in New Holland. This decision is the consequence of having received official intimation from the Bavarian Government that he can never calculate upon receiving any appointment in this country. The grounds for this exclusion is the exhibition of a degree of moral firmness in Dr Bayer, such as is seldom met with in young men. He had been suspected of having professionally attended a duel between two students, in which one of the combatants received a wound of which he died within a few hours afterwards. Dr Bayer did not deny his professional assistance on the occasion, but when he was called upon to name the party who had inflicted the mortal wound, he firmly refused to do so. He endured with fortitude the heavy fines to which he was three times condemned, but, in spite of every threat, he adhered steadfastly to his first declaration. By that means he saved the surviving principal, the seconds and the witnesses from punishment. The Bavarian Government persisted in their determination that Dr Bayer should be altogether excluded from any public employment. In consequence of which that gentleman made up his mind to emigrate to New Holland. The departure of this very estimable young man, equally so in regard to the firmness of his character and his general disposition, and to his practical attainments, was exceedingly affecting. The Editor of the Bremen newspaper adds in a note, subjoined to the above extract, that Dr Bayer, whose acquaintance he had made, and to whom he describes as an excellent, talented and practical man, was about to sail for Adelaide in the HELOISE, in the capacity of surgeon. We hope the worthy doctor will be soon as much pleased that he has selected South Australia for his new home, as all his fellow-countyrmen who have already settled there.
	The SOUTH AUSTRALIAN on March 19th 1847 reported "The arrival of three large ships from Europe within the present week - two of them with emigrants numbering in all upwards of four hundred souls - has been hailed with great satisfaction by the colonists. The Bremen ship HELOISE brings a large number of the better class of the German peasantry. They have all paid their own passage, and they bring, we are informed, more money than the emigrant ship has for years imported. They are healthy, and respectable people, and we doubt not they will do well". "... The Bremen ship HELOISE, Captain Beckmann, 155 days from Bremen. Passengers - Dr. Bayer, Physician to the ship, Messrs. Menkens, Doussa, Beddies, Monikes, Pappe, and 198 others, viz: 1 mason, 1 shoemaker, 1 gold and silver smith, 1 butcher and sausage-maker, 1 miller, 1 cloth weaver, 2 cabinet makers, 40 farmers and labourers, 14 miners, 6 female servants, 38 married women and 103 children ... - a total of 214. We understand also that the HELOISE brings Mr Meyer, a gentleman who came out to the colony by the last vessel from Germany, and is now established as a merchant in Adelaide, the credentials of his appointment as Consul in South Australia for the Kingdom of Hanover." A report in the ADELAIDE OBSERVER on March 20 1847 states "On board the HELOISE from Bremen there were six births and six deaths, namely four young children, an aged woman named Anna Roena Sighdon (in her 85th year), and a young sailor named Pelser Kerter, aged 20, who fell overboard before the ship was under canvas ..."

	No official passenger list exists. The only passenger list that exists for the HELOISE was published in the ADELAIDE REGISTER on March 24th 1847 and gives their occupations and other information as well. This list has been expanded to include the work of HFW Proeve which appears in With Pride, The Menzels of Hoffnungsthal 1847-1984 (originally appeared in The Lutheran Yearbook of 1974). This 'new' list is as follows: CABIN PASSENGERS: Dr. BAYER - Surgeon, Mr BEDDIES, - merchant from Hamburgh, Mr V DOUSSA - agriculturalist from Prussia (this could be Von Doussa) and D. DOUSSA, Mr MENKENS, - merchant from Oldenburg, Mr MENKENS, Mr MEYER (Consul for the Kingdom of Hanover) PAPPE, Mr - merchant from Hamburgh STEERAGE PASSENGERS:
	AUDERS / ANDERS, Mr (Cabinet maker) BIERWORTH, Mr BOCK, Mr (miner) and wife and 4 children CALLE, Mr (miner) DREYER, Mr (miner) mother, cousin and 2 children DUNEKE, Mr and wife FERNHABER, Mr - gold and silver smith - and wife and 2 children FISCHER, Mr (miner) and wife and 3 children FLASENBEURG, -- a servant (to Mr Christ. Nuske's family) GOPP - two brothers (miners) GREEN, George (an experienced farmer) and wife HARMS, Anna - young widow and cook HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Johann Georg Heinrich 60, born 1786 from Posen HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Anna Christine/Christian nee BAUM 45, born 1801 and children) HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Johann Friedrich born 1820 Nekla-Hauland, Posen HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Gottfried born 1824 Nekla-Hauland, Posen HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Anna Rosina born 1826 Nekla-Hauland, Posen HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Caroline born 1832 Nekla-Hauland, Posen HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Anna Elizabeth 12 (daughter of above) HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Friedrich Wilhelm born 1836 Nekla-Hauland, Posen HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Carl August born 1839 Nekla-Hauland, Posen HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Christine born 1840 Nekla-Hauland, Posen HEUSLER / HAUSLER, Julianne born 1842 Nekla-Hauland, Posen HERBERGER, Mr (miner) and wife HERMANN - 2 brothers (labourers) HOFMAN, Mr (miner) and wife HOLFS, Mr and wife child HUBNER, Mr (Cabinet maker) and wife and 2 children HUFF, Johann (born January 1803) from Nekla-Hauland, Posen HUFF, Anna Christina nee Grüning (born May 1812) and 4 children HUF, August (born on voyage near the Cape of Good Hope) KEAN, Mr and wife and 2 children KERTER, Pelser (crew) died aged 20 KIRCHNER, Mr and wife and 3 children KLEINITZ / KLIENTZ, Mr and wife child KREIG, Charles/Carl Ferdinand born 1816 Nekla-Hauland, Posen KREIG, Anna Elisabeth (nee Leske) born 1827 Nekla-Hauland, Posen KREIG, Pauline born 1844 Nekla-Hauland, Posen KRIEG, John/Johann born Nekla-Hauland, Posen KRIEG, Anna Julianna (nee Huf, formerly Hermann) and 5 children LESKE, Samuel Gottfried Johann born 1802 Nekla-Hauland, Posen LESKE, Anna Dorothea (nee Mibus) born 1801 LESKE, Anna Elisabeth born 1827 Nekla-Hauland, Posen LESKE, Gottfried Johann born 1831 Nekla-Hauland, Posen LESKE, Anna Paulina born 1836 Nekla-Hauland, Posen LESKE, Samuel Gottfried Johann born 1843 Nekla-Hauland, Posen LESKE, Anna Julianna born 1842 Nekla-Hauland, Posen LINDNER, Mr and wife and 2 children LORENZ, Anna - young unmarried woman (daughter of Ossig ?) LORENZ, Ossig - father and 4 grown up sons MACKZOWIACK / CAVIAC, Mr and wife child (this is actually Mackzowiack) MARTIN, Mr and wife child MENGLER - two brothers (miners)	MENZEL / MENGEL, Christian (55) born 1791 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL,Anna Dorothea RICHTER (2nd wife of Christian) MENZEL / MENGEL, Johann Gottlieb (24) born 1823 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Michael (21) born 1826 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Johann (17) born 1829 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Wilhelm (14) born 1833 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Daniel (13) born 1834 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Carl/Karl August (10) born 1837 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Anna Elisabeth (8) born 1839 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Pauline (8) born 1839 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Emilie (5) born 1842 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Friedrich (3) born 1844 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MENZEL / MENGEL, Maria Dorothea (nee Richter) born Nekla-Hauland, Posen (Christian's sister may also come too) MIBUS, Mr born 1816, Nekla-Hauland, Posen Hochkirch, MIBUS, Dorothea (nee Huf) born 1816 and 3 children MIBUS / NEBUS, Gottlieb (marble mason) born 1807 Nekla-Hauland, Posen, and brother-in-law (not named) MIBUS / NEBUS, Anna Juliane (nee Nuske) born 1812 Nekla-Hauland, Posen MONIKES, Mr - labourer NUSKE / NOSKE, Joseph Christian born 1802 Nekla-Hauland, Posen (servant Falsenberg listed separately) NUSKE / NOSKE, Henriette (nee Graeger) born 1818 Nekla-Hauland, Posen NUSKE / NOSKE, Friedrich born 1833 Nekla-Hauland, Posen NUSKE / NOSKE, Carl born 1835 Nekla-Hauland, Posen NUSKE / NOSKE, Christoph and wife and 4 children (two families ? SA REGISTER listed them twice) NUSKE / NOSKE, Samuel 47(also recorded as SAMUEL, Johann, his wife Anna Rosina and their three children) NUSKE / NOSKE, Anna Rosina 41 (wife of Samuel) and 3 children ORDEMANN / ODERMANN, Mr - butcher and sausage maker OLANE, August - librarian - and wife and 3 children OLANE, Geager/George - labourer RATKA, Mr and wife and 3 children SCHACH, Mr (miller) and wife SCHACH, sisters - unmarried and no mention of the number of them SCHLAMELGER, Mr (miner) and wife and 2 children SCHOENING / SCHOENIG, Mr - shoemaker SCHULZ, Johann Samuel born 1814, Neu Borui, Posen Hochkirch (experienced farmer) SCHULZ, Anna Rosina (nee Mueller) born 1821, Posen Hochkirch, SCHULZ, Juliane born 1841, Posen Hochkirch, SCHULZ, Caroline born 1843, Posen d 1850, Hoffnungsthal, SA SCHULZ, Johann August born 1845, Pose Hochkirch, SCHULTZ, Mr (mason) SEMMLER Johann 34 from Bremen, Germany SEMMLER Anna Dorothea (nee Seifert) 34 from Bremen, Germany - wife of Johann SEMMLER, Gottlieb (7) born Nekla-Hauland, Posen SEMMLER, Ludwig (6) born Nekla-Hauland, Posen SEMMLER, Juliane (5) born Nekla-Hauland, Posen SEMMLER, Friedrich (1) born Nekla-Hauland, Posen SIGNDON, Anna Roena (died on voyage, in her 85th year) SOFT, Mr and wife SPARE, August (miner from Clausthal) and wife SPARE, Henry (miner from Clausthal) and wife and 2 children TIERSCH, G and wife TIERSCH, W and wife and child WILKOWSKY / WILKOWSKI, Mr and wife WRUCK, Mr (cloth weaver) ZADOW, --and 4 children