Petrus van Alkemade, also known (in Australia) as Peter Alkemade, was born in Noordwijk, Netherlands in 1835. Son of
Petrus van Alkemade, also known (in Australia) as Peter Alkemade, was born in Noordwijk, Netherlands in 1835. Son of Cornelis Cornelisz Alkemade and Alida Aris van der Plas.
He arrived in Victoria, Australia around 1853 and worked as a laborer before becoming a lime-burner.
Petrus was married to Jessie Adam. The the couple eventually settled in the Geelong area,
Van Alkemade became a successful lime-burner and owned the Major Plains Limekiln, which was located near Lara (Greater Geelong area) in Victoria. He was also involved in local community affairs and was a member of the Lara Shire Council for many years.
He died in a coach accident on December 16, 1897, near Ballarat in Victoria. He was traveling from Melbourne to his home in Lara when the accident occurred. The accident was widely reported in local newspapers at the time, and it was noted that van Alkemade was well-known and respected in the area
He left behind his wife and several children. His sons, Charles and Peter Jr., continued to run the family lime-burning business after his death.
The kilns date from the 1860s and 1870s, lime burning ceased on the site in the 1880s. All the kilns have basalt retaining walls, brick access vaults to the base of the kiln and brick lined chimneys (filled in).
Charles van Alkemade was born in 1869 and worked alongside his father at the family lime-burning business. After his father’s death, Charles and his brother Peter Jr. continued to operate the limekiln. Charles was also involved in local politics and served as a member of the Lara Shire Council for many years. He died in 1949 at the age of 80.
Peter van Alkemade Jr. was born in 1872 and also worked in the family lime-burning business. Like his brother Charles, Peter Jr. was active in local politics and served on the Lara Shire Council. After his brother Charles’s death, Peter Jr. continued to run the limekiln until it closed in the 1940s. He died in 1951 at the age of 79.
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