Johann Heinrich Casper Meyer (also known as Johan and John Henry Casper Meyer) (??-1901) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

and a

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...

of the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

region. Johan Meyer arrived in Australia from Germany around 1854 on the Aurora which was shipwrecked on Moreton Island. He did not immediately settle on the Gold Coast but spent time elsewhere, including in Sydney and Rockhampton. In 1858 he married the youngest daughter of Richard Pearson of Armidale, New South Wales before returning to Brisbane with his family to continue work as a builder and contractor and also entering the hotel trade. In 1875, Johan Meyer met a Mr. Beattie (also known as Beatty) at the Commercial Hotel in Brisbane. On learning that Johan Meyer was looking for land, he offered to sell the eighty acres he held on the Nerang River three miles from Southport. Following an inspection of the property, Johan Meyer acquired James Beattie's land at Narrowneck and relocated his family to the only house on the property, known as the House of Blazes. Initially developing a

sugar plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

and

sugar mill A sugar cane mill is a factory that processes sugar cane to produce raw or white sugar. The term is also used to refer to the equipment that crushes the sticks of sugar cane to extract the juice. Processing There are a number of steps in pro ...

Joan Meyer also saw the opportunity for business success in catering to the accommodation needs of the regular visitors to the beaches of the Gold Coast. He started the first horse and vehicular private

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

service across the Nerang River, referred to as the Meyer's Ferry and, in 1888, established the Main Beach Hotel (located at

Main Beach, Queensland Main Beach (originally Southport East) is a coastal town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Main Beach had a population of 3,883 people. Geography Historically, the Main Beach area was a narrow ...

). In 1888, Meyer's family operated a

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

service from Southport three times a week, that crossed the river at the ferry, taking passengers down to the main surf beach. His Main Beach Hotel became a postal receiving office in 1889 which was officially called Elston (later renamed

Surfers Paradise Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

). In 1893, the hotel burned down and was only partially covered by insurance. During the 1890s, Johan Meyer's business went into decline and he faced financial ruin. Johan Meyer died at the Southport Railway Station on Friday 18 October 1901.Report of the death of Mr. Meyer
''Brisbane Courier'', Saturday 19 October 1901, p. 14 After his death, services lapsed and the area began to decline until the arrival of

James Cavill James Freeman Cavill (c.1862 –1952 in Surfers Paradise, Queensland) a Brisbane hotelier, was one of the pioneers of the Gold Coast, Australia. Early life Information about his early life is sketchy as he told a number of conflicting stories, ...

in 1925.

Notes

External links

Early History of Surfers Paradise

Queensland Places: Surfers Paradise
1901 deaths German emigrants to Australia People from the Gold Coast, Queensland History of Gold Coast, Queensland Year of birth missing {{Australia-bio-stub