Zanow Street in Caboolture takes its name from one of the district’s early farming families. While the street remains, little is widely known about the people it was named after.
The Zanow family were living in Caboolture by the early 20th century, during a period when the area was made up of farms and rural holdings rather than a defined town centre. Properties were spread out, with families working land used for crops, livestock and timber.
Like many settlers in the district, the Zanows were part of a wave of European families who moved north from earlier settlements. German communities established in areas such as Nundah in the mid-1800s later expanded into surrounding districts, including Caboolture, where farming land was available.
By the early 1900s, Caboolture was an established agricultural district. Timber houses raised on stumps, with wide verandahs, were common across the area.
The Zanow family home stood on the land now marked by Zanow Street. A photograph taken around 1915 shows members of the family gathered at the house, including Gottfried Zanow, Mary Zanow (née Leis), Carrie Zanow (née Austin), Martin Zanow and Wilhelmina Seeney (née Zanow). The image provides a record of the household during this period.
The Zanow Family’s Legacy in Caboolture
Gottfried Zanow was born on 20 May 1856 in Briest, Uckermark, Brandenburg, Germany. He married Wilhelmina Auguste Beckmann on 17 October 1882 in Caboolture and they raised a family of eight children. He lived in the district for many decades and died on 26 May 1951, aged 95, and was buried in Caboolture Cemetery.
As the district developed, properties such as this were gradually absorbed into a growing township. Roads were formed, land was subdivided and family holdings changed over time.
The Zanow house remained standing before being demolished around 1970. Prior to its demolition, it was reportedly used in connection with the Caboolture Golf Club.
Today, while the house is no longer there, the name remains. Zanow Street marks the location of the original property and serves as a reminder of the family connected to the land during Caboolture’s early years.
Read more stories from The Caboolture Guide print magazine here:
- Caboolture Connect: Updates from the Community
- What’s Hot Around Town
- A Brief Affair
- The Magic of Jim Henson Comes to Brisbane
- Organic Gardening in September
- Fresh Start: The Budget-Friendly Way to Spring Clean
- Discover the Biodiversity on our Doorstep
- Market Raising Funds for Nocturnal Critters
- Classic Cars and a Cause Close to Home
- Golden Grooves brings music and family fun to Narangba
- Expo Brings Job Seekers and Employers Together
- Fashion on the Move: Bringing Retail to Aged Care
- What’s On These September School Holidays
- Saddle Up For Triple B Rodeo Final Showdown
- Leaders Take A Different Route
- What to Plant this Spring
