Joachim Matthias "J. M." Wendt (26 June 1830 – 7 September 1917) was a silversmith and manufacturing jeweller in the early days of South Australia.

Life and career

Wendt was born in Itzehoe, a small town in Holstein, then a Danish province, son of Joachim Matthias Wendt and his wife Christina, née Schlichting.Phillips, Richard
'Wendt, Joachim Matthias (1830–1917)'
''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 6 October 2012 After his mother's death around 1839 he was brought up by his father and two sisters, then apprenticed to a watchmaker and silversmith. In 1848 Holstein was conquered by Prussia, and he found German rule so distasteful that he emigrated to South Australia, arriving in 1851, and was

naturalised Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

as a British citizen in 1864, facts which he used to deflect the popular ill-feeling against people of German origin during the Great War. He began business as watchmaker and jeweller in the City of Adelaide at Pirie Street, and in 1852 opened premises at 68 Rundle Street, moving to larger premises at 84 Rundle Street in 1861 then no. 70 in 1874. Julius Ludwig Schomburgk (ca.1818 – 9 March 1893), a brother of Moritz Richard Schomburgk, was for many years Wendt's principal designer and workshop foreman. His business expanded steadily until it became one of the largest and best known in Australia. In 1869 he opened another shop at Mount Gambier and in 1888 another in

Broken Hill, New South Wales Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...

, though this business was sold around 1895.

Later development

In 1903 his son Julius M. "Jule" Wendt and stepson Hermann Koeppen-Wendt were brought in as partners in the firm and took over its management. Business was transferred to a new shop at 74 Rundle Street in December 1904, with an optician's department and workshops on the first floor. Jule moved to London leaving Hermann in charge of the Adelaide business. When J. M. Wendt senior died in 1917, Hermann Koeppen-Wendt inherited the business. His sons A. and Kenneth were fighting overseas; Kenneth was killed in France and in 1927 Alan was brought into the company as an equal partner with his father, and in 1938 inherited the business, bringing his son Peter in as a partner in 1946. The company became Wendts Pty Ltd.in 1947 with Alan and Peter as directors.

Other activities

* He was part owner and director of the Adelaide Crystal Ice Company, the Metropolitan Brick Company and the

Triumph Plow Company The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirect ...

. * He was one of the consortium that built the

Adelaide Arcade Adelaide Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade in the Adelaide city centre, centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It is linked to, and closely associated with, Gay's Arcade. History The property on which the Arcade was built was the scene of two d ...

, which he eventually owned, and opened a second shop at 24–28 in the Arcade. * He was part owner of the original Theatre Royal in Hindley Street. * He built the Freemasons' Hall in Flinders Street * He was a member of the Tintinara Land Syndicate, which is credited with the discovery that the so-called 90-mile desert is not a barren waste, but by treatment with trace elements could become valuable arable land. * He invested in gold mines in South Australia, notably the Bird-in-Hand and Mount Torrens. * In later years he studied Count Mattei's system of homoeopathy, and treated many people.

Recognition and notable work

* He won a first prize at the 1865 New Zealand Exhibition in Dunedin * He produced 70 gold medals and 100 silver medals for the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition of 1867 held in conjunction with the visit to Adelaide of Prince Alfred. His company produced four presentation caskets for the Prince, who honoured him with a Royal Appointment as "Jeweller to His Royal Highness in the Colony of South Australia" The ceremonial trowels which he made for laying the foundation stones of the Albert Tower and Prince Alfred College were shown at that Exhibition. * He produced the silver casket which was presented to the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

(later George V) in 1901. * Examples of his work are held by the National Gallery of Australia in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, The

Art Gallery of South Australia The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), established as the National Gallery of South Australia in 1881, is located in Adelaide. It is the most significant visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of ...

, Tamworth Regional Gallery Sydney's Powerhouse Museum * A silver model of the surface works of the Block 10 mine at Broken Hill was presented in 1893 to its manager "Captain Jack"

John Warren John Warren may refer to: Medicine * John Warren (surgeon) (1753–1815), American surgeon during the Revolutionary War * John Collins Warren (1778–1856), American surgeon * John Collins Warren Jr. (1842–1927), American surgeon, son of John ...

(1838–1910). * A very large number of sporting trophies, such as the Hunt Club Cups, Waterloo Cups, Adelaide Cups. * Silver tea and coffee service presented to

G. W. Goyder George Woodroffe Goyder (24 June 1826 – 2 November 1898) was a surveyor in the Colony of South Australia during the latter half of the nineteenth century. He rose rapidly in the civil service, becoming Assistant Surveyor-General by 1856 ...

Family

Wendt married Johanna Maria Koeppen, née Ohlmeyer (1831–1919), a widow of an old friend, Hermann Theodore Koeppen or Köppen (c. 1825 – 1 November 1868), with four children, on 25 December 1869 at Zetland House on North Terrace, Rev.

J. Crawford Woods John Crawford Woods (8 April 1824 – 10 May 1906), generally referred to as J. Crawford Woods, was the first minister of the Adelaide Unitarian Christian Church, South Australia, serving from 1855 to 1889. History Woods was born in Woodville, a ...

officiating. Those children were: * Hermann Carl (aka Carl Hermann) Koeppen-Wendt (24 July 1860 – 13 February 1938) married Jane Shannon (11 October 1864 – 5 December 1963) on 24 April 1889. Home "Hazelwood" in Winchester Street, St. Peters. :*Lois Muriel Koeppen-Wendt (17 January 1890 – ) :*Alan Koeppen-Wendt (1 February 1892 – 1977) married Marie Florence Whitlock ( – ) on 27 October 1919 served during World War I, promoted to Captain 3rd Light Horse Regiment; Commanding Officer 6th Australian Cavalry Brigade during World War II. Marie Florence also served overseas as a staff nurse. :*Peter Koeppen-Wendt (22 May 1922 – ) married Mora Isabella Ryan (1923– ); they had two children. :*Kenneth Koeppen-Wendt (17 July 1898 – 6 May 1917) served with 10th Battalion in France during World War I; killed in action. * Anna Wilhelmina Koeppen (8 March 1854 – 19 July 1933) married Thomas Drage Porter (c. 1850 – 9 April 1925) on 27 May 1873. Porter was Deputy Surveyor-General of South Australia 1911–1914. * Louise Johanna Koeppen (7 April 1856 – 4 February 1894) married Herbert Hay James ( – 4 February 1931) on 6 October 1878. * Clara Emilie Koeppen (15 April 1858 – 24 June 1940) married William Hall Henderson (28 July 1858 – 19 April 1912) on 5 March 1884. Henderson was manager and commercial secretary to Sir Edwin Smith. Children of Jochim and Johanna included: * Julius Matthias "Jule" Wendt (1871 – 2 March 1939) * Alice Emily Louise Wendt (25 May 1873 – 1961) married Dr. Erich Haenel on 24 January 1901 * Margarethe Hermione Wendt (1875–) married Moritz E(rnst) Heuzenroeder (died 1948) on 5 August 1903. He was a nephew of organist

Moritz Heuzenroeder Moritz Heuzenroeder (15 July 1849 – 10 November 1897) was a pianist, composer and teacher of music born in Germany who had a substantial career in South Australia. History Moritz Heuzenroeder was born in Ottersberg the youngest son of Dr. Ferdi ...

(1849–1897). He died at his home "Eskbank" in Wakefield Street east.

References

External links

* http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/wendt.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Wendt, Josiah Matthias 1830 births 1917 deaths Australian jewellers Australian silversmiths German-Australian Forty-Eighters Settlers of South Australia