Names
Australian Placenames of German Background
Sebastian, Victoria
The 'Frederick the Great' gold mine was located approximately 22km north of Bendigo. Sebastian Schmidt found gold there in May 1863 and the richly productive mine was described by the writer John Macartney in 1872 as “one of the finest mines on the goldfield”. It operated until 1912 and produced 170,000 ounces of gold. The surrounding locality gradually became known by Sebastian Schmidt’s first name.[1]
Place name sign announcing the locality of Sebastian.
Sebastian is a name of Greek origin but has been a popular name in Germany since the late Middle Ages, due to the religious adoration of the saint named Sebastian, particularly in southern Germany.[2]
It seems likely that a few German families lived in Sebastian in the early years of the settlement; the following roads in Sebastian have German names: Rothackers Road, Vogele Road, Kochs Road.
Why was the mine at Sebastian called 'Frederick the Great'? The mine was named after Frederick II (Friedrich der Große), a Prussian king and military leader who ruled the Kingdom of Prussia from 1740 until 1786. Frederick supported the arts and sciences, and attracted the great thinkers of Europe to his court. At the same time he established Prussia as a dominant military power in Europe. Frederick was an influential military strategist and became known as Frederick the Great.[3]
♦ Notes:
1. Cusack, Frank (editor). (1998). Bendigo - the German Chapter. Bendigo (Victoria): The German Heritage Society. p.58 / ‘Sebastian’, Victorian Places, 2014, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/sebastian>, accessed on 08/01/2023 / Flett, James. (1970). The History of Gold Discovery in Victoria. Melbourne: Hawthorn Press. p.249
2. Sebastian. (11 December 2022). Wiktionary, Das freie Wörterbuch. Accessed on 07/01/2023, at <https://de.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Sebastian&oldid=9377765>
3. Domínguez, Martí. (2017). What’s So Great About Frederick? The Warrior King of Prussia. National Geographic History magazine (March/April 2017 issue).