Historical information
August Rietmann (1877-1951) of Lustdorf ,Switzerland, married Maria Frieda Oesschlager (1878- 1942) of Baden Baden, in Germany on 6/8/1910
In August 8th 1915 August and his wife Frieda migrated to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia sailing on the Steam Ship ‘Osterley’ from Marseilles to Melbourne
August and Frieda leased the Box Cottage in 1917 and raised 2 children Stefanie 1918-2006, and William 1920– 1997. August was a Monumental Mason / Potter / Sculptor and he was employed at Corbens Ltd Clifton Hill, to make the World War 1 Memorials for many Victorian towns c1920. This Soldier Statue at Coleraine was typical of many carved by August, however it was not usual for him to sign this work .Records have only been found for the Towns of Boort, Morewell and Coleraine. Other Soldier statue memorials in the same style are at Myrtleford, Benalla, Bonnie Doon and Yarck and possibly other towns.
August purchased the property 1935,and established a pressed concrete business using the cottage as a workshop and storeroom After August died in 1951, William, his son, continued to work in the business from the site until the land was sold to Lewis Co. Ltd Timber Merchants in 1970. Rietman's Landscaping Ltd moved to Bay Road Highett 1953 and later to Carrum.
Significance
The Rietman family is an example of the diverse nationalities that lived and worked productively in Moorabbin Shire 1871–1933 , the City of Moorabbin 1934-1994 and continues today in the Cities of Glen Eira, Kingston, Bayside, and Monash. August, a sculptor and stone mason, was employed by Corben Pty Ltd Clifton Hill to carve WW1 Memorials before establishing his own successful masonry business in the Box Cottage during the latter 1920s. After becoming interested in pressed cement casting, he took on apprentices (1930s Depression) and among his products were garden furniture, pots and also street lamp standards, some of which were installed in St Kilda Road. After August’s death in 1951, his family continued the business ‘Rietman’s Landscaping Ltd.’, at Highett and Carrum.
Physical description
a) Photograph , colour of the WW1 Memorial at Coleraine, Victoria carved by August Rietman st Corbens Ltd. c1921.
b) Letter from The Secretary of the Coleraine Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Fund
Inscriptions & markings
a) Handwritten information
b) Typed letter signed by Goldberg
Subjects
- rietmann august,
- rietman august,
- rietmann frieda,
- rietman frieda,
- stonnington city town hall,
- war memorials,
- world war 1 1914-1918,
- rietman stefanie,
- rennick stefanie,
- francis stefanie,
- rietman william,
- rietman ray,
- mountford paul,
- malvern city town hall,
- box cottage museum ormond,
- box william,
- box elizabeth,
- joyce park ormond,
- rietman's landscaping pty ltd,
- bay road highett,
- macrobertson pty ltd,
- coleraine soldier memorial 1921,
- box cottage ormond,
- box elizab
