NAA: A1, 1917/14426

Dreher, Anna Margarethe

Digital copy - 36227

Details

Occupation as written	governess / teacher
Standardised occupation	PP13: Public services and Professionals - Education
Application received	25 Sep 1914
Application status	Multiple applications
Official	PMcMG
Date of approval or denial	10 Oct 1914
Date of final conclusion	22 Aug 1917
If rejected, why?	Enemy alien. 'not proceeded with'. approved in 1917
Birthplace as written	Schweinheim, Baden, Germany
Modern country	Germany
Age on application	44
Age on arrival in Australia	39
Port of Departure	Liverpool
Port of Arrival	Sydney
Date of arrival	10 Feb 1910
Name of ship	Swiss
Voyage	Swiss (1910-02-10)

Addresses

Address in Australia	High School, West Mailtand
Address State	New South Wales
Time at address

Family

Married	No
Children	No

References

Name of reference	Charles Henry Gale
Occupation of reference	Justice of the Peace (New South Wales)
Marginalia description	p.1 'F'
Police report attached	Yes
Link to other applicant
Literate	Yes

Why are they applying?

Reason

other

Other information

Dec 1914: she explained that she had told Mr Gale, PM in 1913 that she wanted citizenship. Only delayed because applicant sick and deaths in the family. Now she writes: ‘through her inability to acquire naturalization her savings which were invested in shares were seized two years ago and are to be sold by the Government. She states that she had helped in patriotic movements and has contributed to war loans and funds. To the patriotic fund she pays regularly a certain percentage.'

Further comments

Dreher Girls’ High School, West Maitland, 25.8.17 ‘I have no words to express my gratitude sufficiently to you for having taken the trouble to reconsider my case… will lift my burdens to some extent and make my life a little easier. I stand before another serious operation and may have to go into the hospital any day, but what a comfort to know that I shall not have to go as an Alien now.’
Memo, 10/8/17: French and German language teacher. ‘Sub-Inspector at West Maitland reported … a lady of the highest character’. ‘a keen interest in the organizations connected with the Presbyterian Church...member’ & they recommend her. left Germany when 27. Taught in England 6 years; Madeira 4. England 2. 7 months w Earl of March, Chichester, England. Then governess -Mr Alex Hay of Collangatta.
‘no exceptional features, her request could not be granted.’ HOWEVER, ‘MR Charlton, M.P., interested himself in the lady’s behalf’. ‘renews her application’. 'helped in patriotic movements and has contributed to war loans and funds... has no friends in Germany except a sick and helpless sister.’ Minister (P.McM.G. 17/8/17) notes ‘Approved’
Her letter, 5 August 1917: ‘Evidently you have no perception of how much this certificate means to me. I stand utterly alone in the world for my support & have always been obliged to earn my living. Since the commencement of the war I am entirely friendless & abandoned. I have not a single person to turn to for advice and help in my trouble. My position at stake all the time through various agitators. My savings of 20 years were lost on account of the war, my home is gone, I am in the 48th year of age, too old to start life anew. Only those who know how hard it is for a poor woman to save a little money can realise how much this loss means to me. My life and health imperilled through the circumstances… I do not know how long my health will allow me to cling to my work at school. Now it happened that my only little investment… I did intend buying for myself a little cottage and make a home but as it was not enough I took the advice of the Secretary of the Y.W.C.A. in Sydney of which I am a member & invested it in shares, but to speculate with it but to have a safe investment until the time I had saved enough to buy a cottage… I don’t think there is much of such money represented in the enemy shares as mine – the only savings of lonely girls in the world!’ Her nationality also making it very difficult ‘to obtain & keep a room’ ...' see letter