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From 'City of Adelaide' History and Genealogy Site
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Hans and Christine Nissen, c1863

In 1876, the Nissen Family comprising Hans Christian Nissen, his wife Christine Frederickke Nissen (nee Boisen), and their five children aged 2 to 11, sailed from the port of Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (previously Denmark), for England. On 25th May 1876, they then left England for Australia in the City of Adelaide.

The family are listed in the passenger list for the voyage. The passengers on this voyage were all assisted migrants from Germany and the passengers were described as labourers - Hans, was a cabinetmaker-joiner. The family regarded themselves as coming from Denmark, however Schleswig, the part of Denmark where that had been living had been annexed as part of Germany in 1864.

The Nissen Family received free passage from the South Australian Govenment to migrate to South Australia. After the voyage, the family kept the Passenger's Contract Ticket issued by the Emigration Agent for South Australia, presumably in London. The ticket ended up in the posessions of Maren Nissen, who was the youngest member of the family who travelled on the City of Adelaide - only two years old in 1876. Maren was a keen genealogist, ahead of her time, and kept many scrapbooks recording her family history. These have been passed down in her family, and the ticket survives to this day.