Charles Frederick Erbacher was born in 1859[1] in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia as the sixth child of Friedrich Erbacher and Anna Margaretha Margaret Edinger. He had seven siblings, namely: Carl, Adam, Anna Maria, Mary, Peter, Katherine, and Leonard.

When he was 23, he married Catherine Florence Adam,daughter of Nicholas Adam and Maria Eckert, in 1882[2] in Queensland, Australia.

Charles Frederick Erbacher and Catherine Florence Adam had the following children:

1. Gottlieb Erbacher was born on 24 September 1882 in Queensland, Australia. He married Margaret O'Dwyer in 1908 in Queensland, Australia. Gottlieb died in 1966 in Queensland, Australia.

2. Mary Maria Erbacher was born in 1884 in Queensland, Australia. She died in 1956 in Queensland, Australia.

3. Ellen Jane Erbacher was born in 1886 in Queensland, Australia. She married Timothy O'Dwyer in 1907 in Queensland, Australia. Ellen died on 20 July 1940 in Queensland, Australia.

4. Minnie Erbacher was born in 1888 in Queensland, Australia. She married Norman Roland Campbell in 1910 in Queensland, Australia. Minnie died in 1981 in Queensland, Australia.

5. Agnes Erbacher was born in 1890 in Queensland, Australia.

6. Harry Erbacher was born in 1892 in Queensland, Australia. He died in 1962 in Queensland, Australia.

7. Robert Erbacher was born in 1896 in Queensland, Australia. He died in 1976 in Queensland, Australia.

8. Ada Erbacher was born in 1898 in Queensland, Australia. She married Harold Gordon Nettleton in 1918 in Queensland, Australia. Ada died in 1975 in Queensland, Australia.

9. Florence Elizabeth Erbacher was born in 1902 in Queensland, Australia. She married Victor George Hawkes in 1925 in Queensland, Australia. Florence died on 20 July 1935 in Queensland, Australia.

Charles was murdered, along with his daughter Florence (32), granddaughter Earl Marie (8) and grandson Victor Neil (2), by his son-in-law Victor George Hawkes on 20 July 1935[3] in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Charles was 75.

Catherine died on 22 August 1943[4] in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, age 81.

Citations:

1. Queensland Government - Births, deaths, marriages and divorces, C92 (1860)

2. Queensland Government - Births, deaths, marriages and divorces, C420

3. Queensland Government - Births, deaths, marriages and divorces, C3677

4. Queensland Government - Births, deaths, marriages and divorces, C4558

External Links:

TOOWOOMBA - The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) Monday 2 May 1932 p 15 Article

At Russevllle, Drayton Road, on Saturday evening, Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Erbacher celebrated their Golden wedding. There were 150 guests, who were entertained in a marquee on the lawn. The tables were arranged with bowls of yellow chrysanthemums and gold tulle, a feature being a wedding cake on which were 50 candles. Mr. and Mrs. Erbacher are both very old residents of Toowoomba. Mrs. Erbacher before her marriage was a Miss Adams. They have a family of nine, all of whom were present. One daughter, Miss M. Erbacher, lives with her parents.

GHASTLY TRAGEDY. ON PITTSWORTH FARM. Five Persons Dead. | PITTSWORTH, July 21 - Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1885 - 1954) Monday 22 July 1935 p 4 Article

GHASTLY TRAGEDY ON PITTSWORTH FARM. - Five Persons Dead.PITTSWORTH, July 21.

An isolated dairy farm in the hills at Stoneleigh, four mile from Pittsworth, was the scene of a ghastly tragedy last night when five persons lost their lives. The victims were: V. G. Hawkes (35) owner of the properly; his wife   Florence Hawkes (32). their daughter and son, aged 8 years and two years respectively, and C. F. Erbacher (75). father of Mrs. Hawkes. The tragedy was revealed following the destruction by fire of a seven roomed house on the property. Police were informed by neighbors, who saw the glare of the blaze in the distance this morning, the charred remains of the victims were found in the ruins of the house. The remains were brought into Pittsworth, where a post mortem was held. As a result, it is surmised the wife was shot through the head, as the mark of a bullet was shown and a bullet mark also was located on the rib of the little girl. The husband, also, had a wound in his head. Only fragments of the bones of the other two victims were found. The bodies were heaped together in the living room and that of the husband was found near the kitchen, about eight feet from the others. A pea rifle, containing a discharged cartridge was found at his feet. Hawkes was a newcomer to the district and was the eldest son of the late Senior Sergeant G. Hawkes. Mrs. Hawkes, his mother, who lives at Toowoomba, said today her son had no financial difficulties that he could not overcome. He purchased the farm about eight months ago. Previous to that, he was farming in the Milmerran district. Inquiries showed that the family was very happy and Hawkes was well respected. It Is stated, that, dur- ing the past fortnight, Hawkes was suffering a severe attack of influenea and insomnia. He was in Pittsworth yesterday and tried to purchase a strong sleeping draught from a chemist, who refused to sell him the drug he wanted without a doctor's order; however, be gave him other medicine. He served in the war for four years and suffered severe disabilities, being badly gassed and shell shocked. It Is stated Hawkes went into Pittsworth on Saturday and renewed his motor car licenses. He later went to a local storekeeper and purchased a pea rifle and ammunition. The names of the dead children are: Earl Hawkes (8) and Neal Hawkes (2). When in Pittsworth on Saturday Hawkes told Sergeant P. Allen he had been suffering from Influenza and was feeling very much off color. The officer noticed that Hawkes appeared depressed, but be attributed this to illness. Hawkes visited the office of a

commission agent, and, while there, placed a book on the counter, and an employee noticed that it was a work on cremation. The family returned home about noon, and, half an hour later, the little girl colected the mail from the postman. That was the last time any member of tbe household was seen alive.

About 6.30 p.m. S. Cooper and his brother, Roy, whose farm is about half a mile from Hawkes's residence noticed flames leaping from the house. They went to the boundary fence, but, seeing no one about, thought that a fire must have broken out In the ab sence of the family. Realising nothing could be done to save the home, which was burning fiercely, they returned to their own place. When the police learned of the fire this morning, they visited the farm, and, in the still smouldering ruins, found the charred bodies. The theory generally accepted in Pittsworth is that Hawkes shot his wife, children, and father-in-law dead, placed their bodies together, and set fire to the house before going into the kitchen and turning the rifle on himself.

Throughout the day, police sifted the ashes, but, so far, have recovered only one spent cartridge. The only surviving member of what on Saturday, bad been a happy household was a cattle dog which wandered aimlessly among the ruins. Business people were of the opinion Hawkes was not in financial difficulties, though a neighbor said he appeared worried about his stock, as he had said that several of his cattle had

died. His father-in-law had taken up temporary residence at the farm to assist him. Mrs. Erbacher also stayed there for some time and left to return to her home in Toowoomba onlv a week ago. The late Mr. Erbacher was for many years, a well known resident of Toowoomba, and, during the last few months, tragedy has dogged his family. One daughter, Mrs. H. Nettleton, of Ipswich, was the mother of two boy scouts who were drowned at Mt. Crosby about three months ago, while the husband of another daughter died at Redbank, less than a fortnight ago. Before going to Milmerran Hawkes conducted a business at

Tugun and later at Chinchilla. In 1921, he was engaged as a clerk at Inkerman mill, Home Hill.

VICTIMS BURIED Pittsworth Farm Tragedy PITTSWORTH, July 22 - Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954) Tuesday 23 July 1935 p 7 Article

VICTIMS BURIED. Pittsworth Farm Tragedy PITTSWORTH. July 22. - The funeral of the four victims of the recent tragedy took place to the local cemetery today. Thc charred remains of V. C. Hawkes, his wife, and two children were contained in one casket. The remains of the other victim. C. Erbacher, will be buried in Toowoomba tomorrow. Further investigations were carried out by the police at the scene of the tragedy today and nine cartridges were discovered.

They Innocently Watched Appalling Funeral Pyre MURDERED FAMILY Prospering Dairy Farmer's Awful Act Wipes Out Home - Truth (Sydney, NSW : 1894 - 1954) Sunday 4 August 1935 p 10

They Innocently Watched Appalling Funeral Pyre MURDERED FAMILY - Prospering Dairy Farmer's Awful

Act Wipes Out Home (FROM 'TRUTH'S' BRISBANE OFFICE.)
WHIRLED into the realm of insanity by a sudden gale of madness, gassed and shell-shocked Digger George Victor Hawkes, of Pittsworth, on the Darling Downs, seized his gun, and, with maniacal relentlessness, riddled the bodies of his loved ones with bullets. ONE on top of the other in the sitting-room of their home he heaped the bodies of his wife, his seven-year-old daughter, his baby son, and his father-in law, and then set fire to the house. He watched the flames well on to their destructive work, then, turning the gun on himself, he sent a bullet crashing into his own brain and went to join his family in eternity. UNKNOWING of the terrible tragedy that had been enacted, unknowing that they were watchers at the funeral pyre of five human beings, two men stood in the rapidly-darkening evening as the roaring flames devoured the home on the lonely dairy farm in the Pittsworth district. It was not until many hours later - the next morning - when police arrived to investigate the fire, that the grim tragedy was discovered. Then the charred bodies of Victor George Hawkes (38), his wife, Florence Hawkes (32), his daughter, Earl Hawkes (7), his son, Neil Hawbes (2) and his father- in-law, Charles Frederick Erbacher (77) were found in the ashes of the home.

BULLETS IN BODIES But further Investigations were necessary before the full horror of the tragedy was revealed. When bullet wounds were found in the bodies, it was realised that Hawkes had murdered the other members of his house hold, and had himself committed suicide. Hawkes purchased the farm, which is situated at Stoneleigh, four miles from Pittsworth, six months ago. He went to the war at the age of 17, and during his four years of service, he was gassed and shell-shocked. Since his return, whenever he suffered from attacks of influenza or other illness, he was troubled by insomnia and became depressed. Here, it seems, can be traced the reasons for Hawkes's last terrible demented acts. The flames from the blazing house were seen by two men named Cooper, who live on a farm about half a mile away, at 6.30 on Saturday night, but, as they could not see anybody moving about when they watched the flames from their boundary fence they returned to their home. Early on Sunday morning the Pittsworth police were advised of the fire, and Acting-sergeant Allen and Constable Johnsen motored out to the farm. There, in the still-smouldering ruins, they lound the five bodies, badly charred and burned

SUCCESS OF FARM The bodies of Mrs. Hawkes, the two children, and her father were close together in the centre of the house, where the sitting-room had been situated. The body of Hawkes was found about eight feet away, face downwards, with the Winchester rifle containing a discharged cartridge, across his legs, which were practically burnt from the body. Inspector O'Hara, Detective-sergeant M. Eiford, and Constable D. Wallace, of Toowoomba, rushed to the scene of the tragedy and took charge of the investigations. Amid the ruins was found a spent .22 calibre cartridge, and later in the week, when the ashes of the fire were sifted, another eight discharged cartridges were found.

TOOWOOMBA PITTSWORTH TRAGEDY - The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954) Saturday 14 September 1935 p 10

TOOWOOMBA PITTSWORTH TRAGEDY - The adjourned inquest on Victor George Hawkes, Florence Hawkes (his wife), Earl Marie Hawkes (his daughter), Neil George Hawkes (his son), and Charles Frederick Erbacher (his father-in-law), whose charred remains were found on July 21 in the debris of a fire at Stoneleigh farm, near Pittsworth was continued yesterday, before the Coroner (Mr. M. Gallagher). Mrs. Katherina Erbacher, widow of C. F. Erbacher and mother of Florence Hawkes, said she had lived with the Hawkes family at Pittsworth, but left on July 10 on a visit to Toowoomba and Redbank, where she was at the time of the tragedy.

The witness said that Mr. and Mrs. Victor Hawkes lived happily together, and had no worries, so far as she knew. She could give no reason for the shooting, but formed the opinion that Hawkes did the shooting and burnt the bodies. She thought that perhaps the dry time and the shortage of incoming money might have affected him. There was between £600 and £700 owing on the farm. To Mr. P. Hennessey (who appeared for her) witness said she and her husband advanced £675 to Florence Hawkes, and guaranteed Victor George Hawkes at the bank to the extent of £500. Only £37 was drawn against that guarantee, and Hawkes could have drawn more if he wished. There was some scrub at the back of the house, and she supposed that someone else could have done the shooting. The Inquest was adjourned to Pittsworth.

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