GIETZELT, Arthur Anton (1895-1993)

Arthur Anton Gietzelt was born in Townsville, Queensland on 29 December, 1895.  He was the son of Anton Gietzelt and his wife, Anna nee Novak.  Anton had arrived in Queensland on 24 November, 1889, from London, on board the ‘Merkara’.  On 27 November, he married Anna Novak who came from Bohemia.  Arthur Anton was one of eight children the youngest of whom was Martha Rosetta. Anna died in 1916 and Anton died in 1917, both in  Townsville.

 On 10 April 1920, Arthur Anton married Ida Caroline Stoward (1895-1991) at Townsville. Ida was a stenographer and Arthur Anton operated a taxi service in Townsville.  Shortly after their marriage, they went to San Francisco, California.

 On 28 December, 1920, their first son, Arthur Thomas, was born in San Francisco.  They returned to Australia on board the ‘Ventura’ arriving in Sydney on 12 August, 1922.  Arthur had returned with a patent for a brand of rubber tyres and hoped to set himself up in business.  Also on board was his sister, Martha Gietzelt, a telephone operator.

 On 29 September, 1922, their second son, Ray, was born in Sydney however, they returned to Queensland and were living in Mackay in 1925 where Arthur was employed as a mechanic.  By 1930, they were living in New South Wales at Sans Souci in the St. George area.  Arthur established a tyre business in Newtown which at first prospered.  When the Great Depression struck. Many of their clients were unable to honour their debts and the business failed.  The Gietzelt family struggled financially, often finding it difficult to pay the rent.  Undeterred, Arthur tried other businesses until he was successful with a small chemical company, Getz Products.  The experiences of the family during this period would lead to the future careers of his sons in politics and the trade union movement.

 Ida Caroline Gietzelt died at Blakehurst on 11 September 1991.  Arthur Anton Gietzelt died at Kogarah on 1 July 1993.  They were both buried at Woronora Cemetery.

View the entry for GIETZELT, Arthur Anton (1895-1993) and family in the database. Click on his name at the heading of this page.

 References:

 Wikipedia

Australian Birth Index

Australian Death Index

Australian Marriage Index

Australian Electoral Rolls

New South Wales, Australia, Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922

Trove

Sydney Morning Herald

United Voice

Australian Dictionary of Biography