Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Whilst researching as a volunteer with the Virtual War Memorial website I became interested with Ernest Pfrunder. I found three references to Boonah for this man.
Johann Ernest Pfrunder was born in Switzerland about 1872. In 1894, 22 year old John Ernest Pfrunder, travelled as a steerage passenger on the Steamer Barmen from Antwerp to Sydney. In 1895 Johann Ernest Pfrunder was naturalised as an Australian Citizen at Boonah, Qld. His occupation given as Teacher of Languages and Music. I wonder if he taught at the local Boonah School.
In 1898 an E Pfrunder travelled as a saloon passenger from Melbourne to Sydney on-board the SS Tsinan.
The next records I found for him were between 1904 and 1914 and all relate to Police Courts in Western Australia, Victoria and Queensland. Two of those were at Boonah, Qld where he was charged with drunkenness both times.
In 1912 at Lara (Geelong) he spent 6 months at the Lara Inebriate Retreat. (Under a law passed in Victoria in 1904 a magistrate could order an individual convicted of three drink‑related offences within a single year to be detained in a licensed institution for up to twelve months. The Lara Inebriate Retreat housed both voluntary and in-voluntary patients.
In 1914 at Brisbane, Queensland he was sent to an Inebriates home for 6 months as had been convicted for drunkenness 5 times in the same year. He was described as a Professor of languages.
Then on 27 Oct 1916 at Longreach 45 year old Ernest Pfrunder enlisted in the AIF. He gave his sister Mrs P Meisterhauss as NOK and gave the Swiss Consul, Technical College, Brisbane as his permanent address. Interestingly he also stated that he was not a naturalised British subject but was a Swiss Subject. He gave his occupation as Linguist Master.
On 7 Feb 1917 Ernest Pfrunder embarked from Sydney on the “HMAT Wilshire” and disembarked at Devonport 0n 11 Apr 1917. He was assigned to the 25th Battalion, 19th Reinforcement. By July of same year Ernest had been charged with being AWOL three times. On 27 Jul 1917 he was returned to Australia as considered unfit for service due senility and chronic bronchitis. On arrival in Australia he was admitted to the Hospital for Insane at Goodna, Queensland.
Ernest Pfrunder must have been released from hospital as he died at Nichols Hotel, Currumbin on 18 Sep 1920 aged 48 years. His death record shows his name as Ernest Henry Pfrunder! I have not found a burial record. The Consol for Switzerland, Mr W Gohooh, advised his Swiss relatives of his death.
What a very sad story. I was surprised that a 45 year old man was allowed to enlist in the AIF but learnt that the AIF were facing a shortage of men at the time.
The day after Ernest Pfrunder enlisted in the AIF Labour Prime Minister Billy Hughes presented a “referendum” to the nation which asked:
“Are you in favour of the government having in this grave emergency, the same compulsory powers over citizens in regard to requiring their military service, for the term of this war, outside the Commonwealth, as it now has in regard to military service within the Commonwealth?
The referendum was narrowly defeated, with 1,160,033 votes against and 1,087,557 votes in favour. On a state basis, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia voted a majority against conscription, while Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Federal Territories voted in favour of conscription.”