Albert Joseph Schlink was born in Paderborn, Germany. He travelled to Pt Lincoln in South Australia in 1864 and after a short
Albert returned to Germany to marry in 1867, and arrived back in Wodonga in 1868 with wife Fransisca.
With extensive land holdings, both farms and town allotments, Albert chose to build a store in High Street, opposite Stanley Street corner, in 1872. What is now Woodland Grove was referred to as Schlink’s Green until the name was changed to honour John Woodland.
Between 1868 and 1886 Albert and Fransisca had eight children. Two girls and six boys, two of whom became doctors. Dr Rudolph Schlink and Dr Herbert Schlink, later to become Sir Herbert Schlink. (My understanding is that he is the only Wodonga born and bred to be knighted.)
Albert Schlink was elected as Wodonga Councillor, and one term as President. He served on the recruiting committee in WW1 and his wife was president of the Wodonga branch of the Red Cross.
Dr Herbert struck trouble for his German name when he was the Senior Medical Officer at Liverpool during WW1, causing him to resign, and his nephew Carl, who was studying medicine in Germany was interred as an enemy alien.
The third son was also called Albert, and he went into business, Schlink & Son, with his father. Albert Jnr married Mabel Hughes, and they had three children, all of whom became doctors. Doctor Carl and Doctor John practiced locally, and Doctor ‘Zisca became a legend at Broken Hill before she died young of lung cancer. (Facebook comments about ‘Zisca were that people remembered her because of the perpetual cigarette in her mouth with one eye closed because of the smoke).
Doctor John Schlink was a veteran of WW11 and afterwards graduated as a medical practitioner. He practiced in outback Australia and overseas before returning to Wodonga and working at Bonegilla Migrant Camp before setting up a practice with Dr James Taverney for over 30 years.