Person: Joseph (George) Lutvey

Name:
Joseph G. Lutvey

Occupation:
Hawker/Farmer

Religion:
Catholic/Melkite

Birthplace:
Zahle, Syria/Lebanon

Arrival In Australia:
1886

Years Lived In Brisbane:
1930-1940

Date Of Naturalization:
15/07/1903

Year Of Birth:
1857

Place Of Death:
Brisbane

Date Of Death:
31/01/1951

Spouse

  • Marriage Date: 1893/1903
    Birthplace of spouse: Baalbec, Syria/Lebanon
    Heritage of spouse: Syrian/Lebanese
    Place of marriage: Baalbec, Syria/Lebanon; Gayndah

Story

Joseph was married when he came to Australia in 1886; however, he and his wife, Sophia, remarried in May 1903 at St Joseph’s Church, Gayndah as non-Europeans needed documentary proof of marriage to be eligible for naturalization. Joseph, who came from Zahle, obviously had access to at least some schooling because he was literate in Arabic. Indeed, both Joseph and Sophia signed their marriage certificate in Arabic. The police reported in his naturalization application that while Joseph could not read or write in English, he was able to speak ‘fairly good English’.

After living in New South Wales for about ten years, Joseph and his family moved to Bundaberg, then Gayndah and finally in 1917 to a farm at Woodmiller. Life on the farm was difficult especially because of the prickly pear infestation and a severe drought.

Sophia died in 1928 and a few years later, Joseph and his family moved to a new home at 28 Bank Street West End. His son, Sam remained on the farm through to the 1950s when he also moved to Bank Street.

References

Queensland State Archives Item ID6833, Batch file, Joseph Lutvey, Naturalization Application
Margaret Casalaina, ‘Joseph George Lutvey’, in Carmel King, A New Beginning, Brisbane: Author, 1994, pp. 88-96.