Choosing to Challenge: Marie Rose Deppeler and the Pioneer Women of the Otways
International Women’s Day 2021
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2021, and its theme Choose to Challenge, we reflect on the remarkable stories of women who helped shape our communities — often quietly, resiliently, and with fierce determination. One such woman was Marie Rose Deppeler, a pioneering settler of the Otways whose life story embodies courage, endurance, and the unwavering strength of women forging new paths in untamed landscapes.
From France to the Forest: A Woman’s Journey
Born Marie Rose Le Feuvre in France in 1867, she arrived in Australia in 1878 with her mother and brother, seeking a new life. By age 19, she married Gottfried Deppeler, and together they ventured south through Queensland, Bendigo, and Geelong before finally arriving in Beech Forest in 1890 — a journey made by wagonette and bullock wagon, and later by horseback through rugged, unmade bush tracks.
Reflecting on her early days, Marie recounted,
“With two young children we travelled by wagonette to Gellibrand then by bullock wagon through unknown bush and forests over unmade roads to Ditchley Park where John Gardner had settled with his wife and family.”
Her journey culminated at the site that would become her lifelong home, a place carved out of the Otway forest. Their first home was built entirely from the timber of a single massive tree — a symbol of both the formidable environment and their resourcefulness.
Life in the Otways: Strength in Adversity
Marie’s life was defined by both the challenges she faced and the strength with which she met them. When expecting her second child, she rode on horseback to Colac, navigating steep terrain, gave birth, and returned three weeks later with the newborn in her arms — a testament to the sheer grit demanded of women in frontier settlements.
In 1901, the Deppeler family contributed split palings for the narrow-gauge railway line, a venture that helped sustain their livelihood and brought modest conveniences to their otherwise remote life.
Tragedy struck in 1909 when Marie’s husband, Gottfried, died in an accident, leaving her a widow with eleven children, the youngest just three months old. Undeterred, Marie carried on — until in 1919, a devastating bushfire destroyed her home, forcing her to rebuild.
A Lasting Legacy
Marie Rose Deppeler passed away in 1956, her legacy — and that of the many women like her — remains a powerful reminder of the often-overlooked contributions women made to Australia’s rural development.
Though history books may highlight the names of explorers and statesmen, it is in personal stories like Marie’s that we uncover the heart of our shared heritage. Women like Marie were not just settlers; they were builders, mothers, leaders, and survivors.
