Alwyn Guido Finster was the eldest son of Arthur George Finster and Isabella Finster (née Elliott) and is my grandfather. He was born in Bendigo on 6th December 1886. He was registered as Alwyn Roberts by his grandmother, Sarah Finster. However, he always claimed Guido as his second name. He was one of eight children and was brought up in a musical family.
Alwyn went to school at the Gravel Hill State School in Bendigo where his father was the musical director. In 1894, when Alwyn was aged eight, he was a choir member in an operetta produced by the school. “Before an audience of 400 people the pupils of Mr Finster gave a spectacular operetta entitled The Little Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe. The young people performed in such an excellent manner that their solo and chorus singing was quite a treat.”[1] Alwyn was quite successful at school, and in 1898 when he was aged 12, he won a prize in a gardening competition![2]
After leaving school he was apprenticed as a piano tuner to Suttons, who were agents for Allan’s Musical Instruments in Pall Mall, Bendigo. In 1907 he worked for Messrs Flight and Company, in their musical warehouse at 253 Mitchell Street, Bendigo, as a piano tuner and repairer. After three years he went to Kerang, 277 kms from Melbourne, to start his own business. He was farewelled by Mr Frank J. Walter, in the absence of Mr Flight, on behalf of the staff, who regretted his departure but wished him every success in his new venture.
The Kerang Times advertised that “Mr Finster is an expert at piano and organ repairs and would be pleased to quote prices for tuning, repairing, and polishing old pianos or organs, equal to new”.[3]
There are several articles referring to Alwyn in the music scene of Kerang. He lent pianos for concerts at the Town Hall. In December 1909 he was praised for the “beautiful tone and touch” of the piano he provided.
In September 1910, Alwyn successfully applied for a vacancy at Walch’s Piano Warehouse in Hobart, Tasmania. The Kerang Times reported that “Mr Finster became very popular during his stay among the people of Kerang and districts”.[4]
This move began the establishment of the Finster family in Tasmania.
Alwyn enjoyed working for the Walch family. In the Walch’s wages book of 1913-1942, Alwyn Finster is listed as having received £4-0-0 per week. This was more than some other employees received.[5]
In 1914, Walch’s imported pianos had to be assembled on their arrival in Tasmania. The wooden frames were made from Tasmanian hardwood. Alwyn would have been very important in building these pianos using his tuning skills.
During this time, Alwyn lived in a boarding house at 9 Kelly Street, Battery Point, run by Mrs Margaret Garde and her daughters, a ready-made courting place for the young men who came to Tasmania for work.
And this is what happened. Alwyn and Sybil Lorraine Garde were married on 25th September 1912. The story of the Garde family who arrived in Tasmania in 1837 from Ireland is told in The Garde Book which was produced in 2018.[6] They too wished for a better life as Guido Finster, Alwyn’s grandfather, did when he left Germany in 1849.
Alwyn left Walch’s about 1919 to start his own business. There is an advertisement in the Mercury on 11th June 1919 in which he begs to announce that he has started his own business for himself as a Pianoforte and Organ Tuner and Repairer. Estimates given for all classes of repairs. Prices moderate. Prompt attention. 18 years’ experience. Country districts visited.[7]
When Alwyn travelled to country areas to tune pianos in people’s homes, he listened to their stories about the history of their pianos. They were often grateful for the restoration of a much loved instrument which brought back happy memories.
My mother, Margaret Isobel Finster, was born on 10th October 1918. Then Lorraine Sybil Finster was born on 1st October 1922. We see the continuation of the Finster family names.
In 1920 Alwyn bought the family home at 30 Washington Street, South Hobart. He was a great family man. He took the girls for walks on the mountain tracks, especially around Gentle Annie Falls. They collected tadpoles near the Keens Curry sign. This is an advertisement for Keens Curry constructed with white painted stones on the slope of a foothill of Mt Wellington. It could be seen from a good distance over Hobart.
Regatta Day was a day out. Alwyn would go early to park the car on the Lower Domain and the rest of the family would walk over later. They had two shillings to spend. Holidays were happy times. The family hired a shack with other members of the Garde family. They sailed on the ferry “Cartella” to the jetty at South Arm and walked to their shack.
Education was important to Alwyn. He made sure the girls attended the best schools. Both girls won the right to attend Hobart High School after being at Albuera Street School, Battery Point for their primary school education.
He opened his own shop at 146 Elizabeth Street, Hobart under the name of Finster Pty Ltd. This business was quite successful until depression times caused a downturn in work. However, he was still the local agent for Allan’s Musical Instruments and sold Playotone Player pianos which he described as beautiful instruments. He also sold new and secondhand pianos and organs.
About 1927 he bought 10 Adelaide Street, South Hobart and continued working at the business of tuning and repairing pianos and organs. Advertising was an important part of his business, and he attended the Hobart Show on several occasions to promote the pianos.
Things did not go very well at this time as Alwyn became ill and spent three months in the Homeopathic Hospital, South Hobart, and his business declined in his absence. Unfortunately, he had to sell 10 Adelaide Street. When he was discharged from hospital, he continued his business from his home at Washington Street. He travelled by car into the country as far away as New Norfolk, Franklin, Hamilton, and Jericho, to tune and repair pianos.
In the 1940s Alwyn worked for Findlay’s Music Store at 80-82 Elizabeth Street, Hobart. He was their piano tuner and repaired the pianos and organs that they sold.
About this time, the family moved to 336 Argyle Street, North Hobart where many a happy Christmas was celebrated by all the family.
During World War II, Alwyn became an Air Raid Warden for the district of North Hobart. He had to read the weather gauge at the North Hobart football oval. Each night he patrolled the streets in his area. He carried a torch and took the opportunity to take the dog for a walk. He had an instruction book of his duties. This included the dimensions for digging a trench in the garden in case of an air raid. The Finster family dug their air raid shelter under the chook pen at 336 Argyle Street.
In the 1950s the family moved to 1 Elboden Street, South Hobart near Fitzroy Gardens. As children we had lots of fun rolling down the lawn slopes of the gardens, chasing each other and swinging on the maypole, which was a traditional pole that was danced around especially on May Day.
After they moved from Elboden Street, Alwyn and Sybil spent many happy years in a flat attached to the home of their daughter, Lorrie (Lorraine Sybil), and her husband, Rod Nichols, at 1 Natone Street, Lindisfarne. They finally lived in a flat at Swan Street, North Hobart.
Alwyn died on 7th October 1965, and Sybil on 27th October, 1975 (her 87th birthday).
Alwyn’s life in some ways mirrors Guido’s life. Both left families to start a new life in a new area. Guido established the Finster family in Australia and Alwyn did the same in Tasmania. Both were dedicated to their families, and in adverse conditions they came through. They sought a good place, to provide a good life for their wives and children.
[1] Bendigo Advertiser 17 August 1894 page 2
[2] Bendigo Advertiser 6 May 1898 page 2
[3] Kerang New Times 9 March 1909 page 2
[4] Kerang New Times 2 September 1910
[5] AOT NS 2865/1/1 J Walch & Sons wages book 1913-1942
[6] Dooley, Lorraine. The Garde Family in Tasmania 1837-2017, Foot & Playsted, Launceston, 2018
[7] Mercury 11 June 1919 page 3