Otto Pfuhl

Otto Pfuhl was born in Hamburg, Germany. He was first a trader in ivory in the French Congo before going to Queensland in 1905 where he married. He moved to Perth in 1907 and he became a representative of merchants Lohmann and Co. and a local personality. Later he became an aviator and was interned as a alien prisoner of war in 1914.

1902 See Photograph- THE TUSKS OF AN ELEPHANT. This sketch, which is from a photograph kindly supplied by Mr. Otto Pfuhl, the figure in white to the right shows the tusks of a full-grown elephant. Mr. Pfuhl is over 6ft. high; therefore it will be seen that the smallest piece of ivory is about 5ft. 6in. from root to point. There can be little doubt that an infuriated elephant, with tusks like these, could easily toss a horse and its rider into the air, as was illustrated from an authentic source in a recent issue of "The World's News." Mr. Pfuhl was for a number of years the representative of a trading firm in the French Congo, and had charge of the factory there. The sketch shows him bartering for the ivory which his trader, the black man on his immediate right, has brought in. The buying of ivory, he points out, is no easy task. The natives are now pretty well aware of its value, and the different factories strongly compete with each other. The elephants from which the tusks came are found in the interior. (reference)

1905 Otto married Madeline ‘Nellie’ Angus (b.1882-1970). daughter of Catherine Maher and Alexander Stewart Angus on 26th Dec 1904 at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Brisbane. They lived at 140 Canning Highway, East Fremantle in 1909 and the property was listed under his name until 1925. (reference)

6 Apr 1907 Western mail, Perth: INWARD PASSENGERS Per G.M.S. Buelow from the Eastern States - Mr and Mrs Otto Pfuhl (reference)

9 Aug 1907 BLOW TO GERMAN TRADE. Mr. Pfuhl, manager for Messrs. Lohrman and Co. at Fremantle, a firm largely interested in German importation, when interviewed by a 'Daily News' reported this morning, expressed great indignation concerning the new tariff regulations. 'In my opinion,' said Mr. Pfuhl, 'the new tariff has been framed with a view to hampering the German trade with the Commonwealth. Australia has been importing from Germany large quantities of barbed wire, corrugated iron, wire netting, roofing tiles, and iron pipes, and the new tariff will absolutely kill German trade in those lines. The preference shown to Great Britain is so great that it will seriously affect firms doing an import business with foreign countries. For instance, wire netting, which was formerly free of duty, has now to pay a duty of 30 per cent, foreign and 20 per cent, British. That should have the effect of giving Great Britain the monopoly of the Australian markets in that line. Iron pipes are similarly affected, The differentiation between British and foreign manufactures constitutes a serious handicap to foreign trade. (reference)

6 Nov 1907 BOWLS. BESSES O' TH' BARN V. FREMANTLE BOWLERS. A bowling match has been arranged to take place tomorrow morning on the Fremantle Green between teams selected from the members of the Besses o' th' Barn Band and Fremantle Bowling Club. The match will consist of four rinks. The Fremantle team will be selected from the following: Miller, Humble, Duffield, Murphy, Bower, Frost, Oldham, Mofflin, Green, Pierce, Barnett, Temple, Pfuhl, Fisher Beard, Lodge, Higham, Hudson, Feeley, and Pye. Fremantle players are requested to be on the green at 10.30 a.m. sharp. (reference)

11 Nov 1907 To-morrow morning at half-past 10 a match will be played on the Fremantle green between teams composed of representatives of the Besses o' th' Barn Band and the Fremantle Bowling Club. The following team has been selected to represent Fremantle: Murray, Higham, Oldham, Miller (capt.), Hudson, Barnett, Frost, Murphy (capt.), Lodge, Temple, Pierce, Williams (capt.), Naylor, Pye, Humble, Bower (capt.); emergencies, Lewis, Feeley, Briggs, Green, Duffield, Pfuhl, and Oliver. (reference)

12 Dec 1907 SUPERPHOSPHATES- A SUCCESSFUL SHIPMENT BY FREMANTLE FIRM. Messrs. Lohmann and Co., of Henry street, Fremantle, pride themselves somewhat on the successful shipment of superphosphates, which has just come to hand by the German cargo steamer Lothringen. Out of 1,250 bags which were landed, the percentage of damaged bags was practically nil. This shipment, which came from Antwerp, was stacked in the goods sheds at Fremantle this week quite in new condition, looking as fresh as when placed on board at the Belgian port. Mr. Otto Pfuhl, the local manager for the above-named firm, when seen this morning, said he was exceedingly pleased at the result of the shipment. 'Mr. Lohmann,' said he, 'is at present in Europe, and as he has made a life-long study of manures in general, and superphosphates in particular, we can always depend on European shipments being sent out here in the best condition...(reference)

26 Feb 1908 SUPERPHOSPHATES. ANOTHER LARGE SHIPMENT. ARRIVES IN FREMANTLE. We are advised by Mr. Otto Pfuhl, local manager for the well-known firm of Lohmann and Co., that another large shipment of superphosphates has arrived to his agency from Europe...Besides the superphosphates, the Schwaben also brought out to Lohmann and Co. large shipments of pig iron, wire-netting, galvanised fencing wire, cement and sundries. (reference)

13 Mar 1908 Mr. Otto Pfuhl, the West Australian representative of Messrs. Lohmann and Co., arrived in Kalgoorlie on Wednesday for a brief visit. (reference)

6 Jun 1908 Mrs. Otto Pfuhl, of East Fremantle, moved to Claremont. (reference)

25 Jul 1908 A caricature was printed of  O. PFUHL in the Truth newspaper:

I've discovered that "Beck's" is a sign Under which a good drummer can Shine; You need take no pull, For you'll never get "Pfuhl" On lager or "Yours and Mine." (reference)

3 Sep 1908 Mr. A. Lohmann, head of the well-known mercantile firm of Lohmann and Co., which has its agencies throughout the world, is paying a visit to Australia, and will arrive at Fremantle by the G.M.S.Gneisenau on September 12. He will be met by Mr. Otto Pfuhl, the local manager for the firm. (reference)

25 Sep 1908 For rent CLAREMONT VILLA. 6 rooms, big yard, garden, fowl run stable, all conveniences, all doors and windows with wire gauze, specially built for owner, low rent to suitable tenant. Apply Mrs. PFUHL, 142 Canning-rd., East Fremantle. (reference)  

17 Oct 1908 PASSENGERS by the s.s. KANOWNA, which sailed for the Eastern States to-day, embarked the following passengers: Pfuhl (reference)

24 Nov 1908 AUCTION At 'Petropolis’ Canning-road, EAST FREMANTLE. VALUABLE and CHOICE HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, WALNUT PIANO. HARRY WILSON and CO. have been favoured with instructions from O. Pfuhl, Esq., who is leaving the State, to SELL as above, Without Reserve: WALNUT UPRIGHT GRAND TRICHORD PIANO (Rubinstein), a full-toned instrument; SOLID WALL OVERMANTEL, antique and valuable bronze ornaments… Minorca and Leghorn fowls, and quantity plants.(reference) 

15 Dec 1908 MR. OTTO PFUHL, late Manager and Attorney in W.A. for Messrs. LOHMANN and CO., begs to notify his many friends that he has SEVERED his CONNECTION with that firm. He is now returning to England and the Continent, with a view to arranging to open up business again in W.A. about July next on his own account...(reference)

21 Aug 1909 (NSW) The following is a list of the passengers who arrived by the White Star liner Afric this morning from Liverpool- Mrs. Pfuhl (reference)

18 Aug 1910 (NSW) ...On behalf of Otto Pfuhl, agent for Messrs. Benedict, Schonfeld, and Company, of Hamburg… his Honor, Mr. Justice Street, made an order for the compulsory winding up of Stolz and Company, Limited... a business in Bridge-street, Sydney, carrying on under the name of 'G. Chr. Stolz,' and to trade as general merchants, importers, commission agents, etc. On Sunday, June 19 last, George Christian Stolz hired a skiff, and as far as the petitioners knew, he was last seen the same afternoon in the vicinity of North Head, rowing seaward. The skiff subsequently drifted ashore near Kiama...and the petitioners were of opinion that he had either been drowned, or had left the State without intending to return...(reference)

20 Jun 1911 Mr. Otto Pfuhl, formerly well known in commercial circles at Fremantle and Perth, is a transit passenger by the G.M.S. Roon, en route for Sydney. He has undergone a course of training in aviation in Europe, and will fly his machine in each of the States. (reference)

23 Jun 1911 Mr. Otto Pfuhl (not pronounced "fool" we hope) has returned to Australia after undergoing a course of aviation in Europe. That seems strange. Judging by the cables we imagined no European aviation course was complete until the student broke his neck. Otto, thank goodness, has broken nothing, except that, at Fremantle, he broke his journey to Sydney. (reference)

23 Jun 1911 An Improved Aeroplane. Proceeding to the Eastern States by the G.M.S. Roon, which called at Fremantle recently, is Mr. Otto Pfuhl, formerly manager of Lohmann and Co.'s business at the Port, and now a fully-qualified aviator. On arrival at Sydney he intends to secure a lease of some suitable block whereon he can erect a shed to house his aeroplane, and over which he can practise aviation. He has been on a lengthy visit to Germany, where he studied aeronautics under Herr Garde, who has invented an improved monoplane...Speaking of his experiences, Mr. Pfuhl informed a representative of this journal that it had taken him only six weeks to qualify for an aviator's certificate. "That does not mean finality," he said, "for one is always learning and improving with each successive flight. I intend to show Australians how easy it is to fly, and will tour the whole of the States. The Garde monoplane is, of course, the latest word in aeroplanes, and it is significant that not a single serious accident has ever occurred with one of these machines, the construction of which cannot cope with the demand for them. Of course the Germans in their flying are progressing slowly but surely. That is why the French people lead the world in aeronautics; they are dare-devils, and care not what the cost be so long as they improve on existing records." ...Mr. Pfuhl hopes to visit Western Australia with his aeroplane, which will be despatched to him from Germany in the near future. (reference)

27 May 1914 (NSW) IMPORT DUTIES...Adolf Voigt, of Bogs and Voigt, Berlin, through Otto Pfuhl, an interpreter, said he was a piano manufacturer in Berlin, employing between 300 or 400 hands. They manufactured the middle-class piano, exporting to Australia, and his business had increased... (reference)

1914 During WWI Otto was detained as an enemy alien (civilian and prisoner of war) at Liverpool Camp, NSW. A photograph of Otto PFUHL was taken in an album of identification photographs at Liverpool (reference- National Archives Adelaide  D3597, 3723). Many internees were deported after the war and it is probable Otto and his wife were. His wife visited Queensland in 1937 and returned again in 1949.

15 Feb 1938 (QLD) To see Brisbane again after 19 years spent in Berlin was the interesting experience of Mrs. Madeline Pfuhl, who arrived on a nine months visit to her sister, Mrs. J. Malcolm, Norman Crescent, Norman Park. 'In those years,' she said, 'a vast change has taken place in the conditions of the German people, particularly the working people, and I think to-day they are really happy.' (reference)

8 Jul 1938 (QLD) ONE POT SUNDAY. MRS MADELINE PFUHL, a former resident of Brisbane, who has returned to her native State after an absence of 18 years in Germany, tells of a scheme which Hitler has introduced to benefit the poor, and which incidentally reacts favourably on the digestion of the benefactors. It Is called Ein Topft Sunday -One Pot Sunday -which occurs once every month, when Sunday dinner is restricted to what may be cooked in one pot only. The difference between that and what is normally consumed, represented in money, is then handed over for the relief of the poor, and represents millions of marks annually. (reference)

29 May 1949 (QLD) AN interesting arrival during the week was Mrs. Madeline Pfuhl, who left Brisbane years ago to live in Germany. She is the guest of her sister, Mrs. J. Malcolm, of Norman Park. (reference)

Madeline died in 1970.