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| Finger Homestead Doncaster East VHD-B2791 |
Henry Finger built in a style that comes from Central Europe. There is a verandah around the front and sides but the distinguishing feature is the way the side walls form parapets at each end of the slate roof. Originally there was only one ridge with a dormer window from the attic room. During later alterations, the attic room was closed up and the dormer window and the windows in the end walls were removed. Now there is a single chimney in the centre of the roof. This chimney serves three fireplaces, two in bedrooms and the third in the cellar. The flue from the cellar follows an unusual course as it winds around the fireplace above to reach the main chimney. The cellar was built to store wine from the vine-yard that originally covered the hillside, but the fireplace was provided to warm cream when making butter on cold winter days.
Henry quarried clay from the valley behind the house and burnt his own bricks. As a protection from the weather the south and east walls were cement rendered but on the east the bricks are uncovered and stack marks may still he seen on them. Large slabs of local stone were laid direct onto the stone to form a foundation for the house. It is a tribute to the thorough workmanship of the Fingers that the house still stands as solid as the day when it was built,
After the landboom, labour was plentiful but there was no means of transport. To accommodate workers for the orchard, outhouses were built and additions were made to the house providing a new kitchen and men's dining room. When preparing bricks for the additions, they under-estimated the quantities. The supply of bricks ran out before the walls had reached the height of the original house so the ceiling of the added section is a foot lower.
Outside is a smoke house, where bacon and sausages were smoked. This is a simple brick structure, 4'6" square and 7' high with a large opening at the bottom and small vents at the top. Many homesteads had smoke houses, often these were no more than sacks spread over a simple framework. This more permanent structure may be the only one left in the district.
Henry Finger came from Silesia in Germany with his father Christian Benjamin Finger in 1850. They planted a vineyard at Hawthorn on the site of Wattle Road. Henry bought 10 acres at the corner of Burke and Cotham Roads. One hot north wind day wrecked his orchard, blowing away the top soil and scorching the young trees and vines. He subsequently moved to Doncaster, purchasing 50 acres of land around the old Waldau Church. The experience at Balwyn made Henry interested in soil conservation. His drains and earth-works around Ruffey's Creek were a model of German thoroughness, and remained in good condition till the land was subdivided.
After Henry's eldest son, John, married, the property was divided down the centre. Two of the sons, John and Ferdinand drew lots for the land. Ferdinand chose the block with the house on it so John built a home on the other block.
In 1914, Ferdinand Finger left Doncaster. He settled at North Balwyn on the site of the Presbyterian Church. His old home in George Street then went to its present owner, Mr. W. Rieschieck (a grandson of Henry Finger). The Rieschieck family had come to South Australia in 1849.
Framed by palm trees, the house has a character and quality that sets it apart as one of the most important buildings in Doncaster. Our city is fortunate to have a fine building such as this. John Finger's home will soon be demolished, but Henry Finger's home, still in perfect condition, is one building that should be preserved.
Source: Irvine Green writing in 1970-08 DTHS Newsletter
Carl Henry Finger 1831-1884
Carl Heinrich, usually known as Heinrich or Henry, was born on the 22nd July 1831 in Quirl, Silesia, Prussia which is now part of Poland.
As a young man of 19 years he travelled to Australia with his parents and siblings, arriving in Port Phillip in 1850. They left Hamburg aboard the ship "Prebislav" on 24th August 1849, arriving in Australia on 4th February 1850. The family established themselves at Hawthorn and Henry worked there with his father for several years.
"He stayed with his father until he was 21 years of age. He then commenced contracting and saved enough to purchase a horse and dray for woodcutting. With the money earned in this way he took up 10 acres of land in Deepdene, where he built a two-roomed cottage and then married Caroline Aumann, a daughter of a pioneer of that district. Charles Henry Finger planted fruit trees, and being an expert gardener, he soon made a success thereof. Many improvements were made by him on the property, particularly regarding water conservation, a matter C.H. Finger was very keen on.... .... During Black Thursday he suffered great loss through the terrible fires."
After the Black Thursday bushfires he and his family moved to Waldau where he purchased 50 acres of land on the north side of Waldau Lane (now George Street) and planted another garden. While others were building homes of wattle and daub, or slabs hewn from the forest, Henry built with clay bricks. These bricks were handmade and baked on the site by the Finger family. The clay was quarried from the land along Ruffey Creek behind the house site. It is remembered that the slopes behind the Finger homestead were covered in vines.
* From "German Pioneer Families in Australia" List Print 1935, page 36
From correspondence between their daughters some information has been gleaned about the lives of Henry and Caroline. In 1876 they were growing potatoes as well as grapes. Thrashing also had to be done. In 1880 the daughters noted that their parents were well. Once again thrashing had to be done. Fruit picking, particularly plums and grapes were mentioned and in October both strawberries and cherries were sent to the Melbourne Exhibition. At least in the early 1880's Henry's stall in the Victoria Fruit Market was 62B. In March 1881 Henry stayed a couple of days in Melbourne for the church Synod. Then in 1883 Henry and Caroline travelled to South Australia to visit their daughter, Henrietta Rieschieck in Tanunda – leaving young Ferdinand in the care of his sisters.
In 1876 the Shire of Bulleen was divided into three Ridings: Doncaster, Templestowe and Warrandyte. In that year Henry Finger was elected as one of the first three councillors representing Doncaster Riding. He remained a councillor until 1879. In 1876 he was also a member of the school committee.
Henry had a stay in hospital (? approximately 6 months) with a "poisoned" arm due to a wound caused by a rusty nail. Also while demolishing a building he had a brick wall collapse on him, which resulted in another hospital stay. However he died at home in the garden on 3rd December 1884, the cause of death being aortic aneurism, which presumably ruptured. He used to say that he would "rather die on a manure heap than in a hospital."
Henry was buried in the Waldau Cemetery and a headstone erected. However during World War Two and much anti German feeling his headstone was broken and later removed.
Although many photographs of the time have survived there is no known photograph of Henry.
Source: Extract from "Rosina's Tree" compiled by Leigh Marian, 1993
Reproduced in Karl Heinrich Finger Gravestone Restoration 2000-07-01
Finger Homestead - George Street, Doncaster East
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| Finger Homestead Doncaster East VHD-B2791 |
Built 1870 with alterations from 1890 - 1910. Demolished: c.1972
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| Rubbed brick arch of the fireplace in the cellar of Henry Finger's house, George Street, East Doncaster. dp0196 |
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| Henry Finger's cellar, showing the vaulting in the ceiling. The house was built in 1870 with hand-made bricks made from clay dug from near Ruffey Creek. dp0197 |
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| Dam in Ruffey Creek built by Henry Finger. There is a narrow footbridge with five small children standing on it. The dam was fitted with a flood gate. dp0420 |
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| Dam built by Henry Finger in Ruffey Creek at the rear of his house in George Street, East Doncaster. dp0421 |
c1880. “Tannenwald”, the Finger homestead, built in 1870 on the north side of German Lane, now George Street. Before alterations. Caroline now had her own two room cottage on ten acres of land near the corner of Burke and Cotham Roads. A man and woman are in the foreground, possibly Henriette Finger (later Mrs August Rieschieck) and one of her brothers. DP0205
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| Henriette Finger, one of the five daughters of Henry Finger, was born in 1862 or 3. In 1883 she married August Rieschieck. She died in 1932. DTHS Archive dp0652 |
Deaths. RIESCHIECK. - On the 25th June, at her residence, Main road, Doncaster (suddenly), Henrietta, the beloved wife of August, and loving mother of Annie (Mrs. A. Thiele), Emma (Mrs. A. Fankhauser), William, Walter (deceased), Herbert, Margaret, Victor, Dorothy (Mrs. E. Aumann), Hedwig, aged 70 years.
Source: The Argus, Melbourne, Monday 27 June 1932.
| Finger homestead, on the north side of George St. The house was originally built by Henry Finger about 1870, later altered, and at time of this photograph, was owned by the Rieschieck family. 1970 Irvine Green dp0208 |
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