Bonding, Jacob

BONDING, Jacob (c1847–1930) was born at Copenhagen, Denmark, son of Niels Bonding, a school teacher, and Birtha Pastrup. By 1870, having trained as a carpenter, he had married Marie Amalie Lehde in 1869 and was living in Cohenhagen. With five of their 6 children, they left Coperhagen in 1880, to migrate to Queensland where they arrived at Brisbane in October. Like many Danish immigrants in the building industry, they moved to the Wdie Bay/Burnett district where Jacob commenced work as a builder with contracts for modest but dispersed buildings, many for Queensland Railways. Unfamiliarity with local conditions and the difficulties of working in newly established settlements, he was insolvent by mid 1884. He may have worked as a carrier, an activity he continued after he was discharged from insolvency in 1888 when he resumed contracting. In the 1890s recession he was in partnership with Norwegian-born Gulik NEILSEN as Neilsen & Bonding undertaking major contracts including the Federal and Globe Hotels in Bundaberg. Working alone and for some time based at Kingaroy, he continued to work for the Government including the new Kingaroy Hospital in 1914, as well as on commercial and residential buildings for architects including FH FAIRCLOTH and HAWKES & PALMER. He died at Bundaberg.