15/10/2026
The Von Stanke family has long been synonymous with Carpenter Rocks, and their connection to the community continues to this day, with descendants still calling it home.
Carl Johann Ehregott Siegfried von Stanke was born on 26 August 1861 in Kreise Schlawe, Pommern, Prussia. His father was Carl Friedrich Wilhelm von Stanke and his mother Anna Luise Fuchs. He left Prussia to escape the military career his father had planned for him. After spending time in England where he became a neutralised citizen, he signed a five-year contract with the Namaqualand Copper Company based at the Concordia mine in the far north west of South Africa. Unhappy with conditions at the mine, he resigned and eventually found work as a gardener in Cape Town. The region where the mine was located near O'Kiep and Springbok has similar climate and geology than the Australian outback. Dry with little rain, desert-like with red dirt and most isolated.
Carl arrived at Semaphore, South Australia, aboard the Carola, a German corvette on 8 February 1882. He subsequently worked as a gardener at Whyte Yarcowie and married Elizabeth Golley in 1889. They had three children: Amelia, Hercules and Laura.
Settling in Mount Gambier, Carl bought a shop in Bertha Street in 1895 and worked at Sunnyside before becoming the Mount Gambier Court bailiff in 1903, a position he held until his death. He also helped establish military cadet training for local youths.
Appointed fisheries inspector in 1910 and inspector of game in 1919, Carl became a dedicated conservationist. He stocked local lakes with fish, promoted forestry and recreation reserves, and advocated for the protection of the Glenelg River.
Following Elizabeth’s death in 1914, Carl married Emma Sappiatzer in 1919. They had three sons: Ehregott, Altin and Ernest.
His love of fishing helped establish a family tradition at Pelican Point and Carpenter Rocks. His descendants became pioneers of the local lobster industry through H Stanke and Sons, later known as Stanke Ociana Seafoods.
Carl died in Mount Gambier on 24 March 1939 and was burried Lake Terrace Cemetery, Mount Gambier; recorded location Section F 1S, grave 21., leaving a lasting legacy in conservation, public service and fishing.
