Albany 2026: Johann Amann went from World War II survivor to beekeeper and mead maker in Albany

From surviving the turmoil of World War II in Germany to building a honey business, Johann (John) Amann reshaped a traumatic early life to one of hard work and community in Albany.

His daughter Monika Donovan recalls her fathers journey as one shaped by hardship, resilience and determination which began long before arriving in Albany.

Ms Donovan said she was horrified to find out that her father had been part of the Hitler Youth and had been a prisoner of war.

“He was a Hitler Youth at the age of 14,” she said.

“Look how young he is — he had no choice, which is so sad.

“He didn’t talk about it much and I was horrified when I saw it.

“He didn’t want to go to war so they locked him up and he became a prisoner of war. I still can’t believe it.”

Ms Donovan said he didn’t like talking about the war but said when he did, it scared her.

“He never really talked about the war much,” she said.

“I used to hear them talking amongst themselves about them being in Hitler Youth and I remember as a child getting a little bit scared because I would hear them say, ‘You better get rid of all those photos because if they find out they might send you back to Germany’.”

After the war, in 1953 at the age of 33, Mr Amann brought his family to Australia via ship straight to Albany where he gathered enough money to begin a bee farm business near the Kalgan River.

In the early years he took on whatever work he could to support his dream.

“When he started his bee business down here he had to work for all the farmers and do the odd jobs for them,” Ms Donovan said.

Once beginning work in Albany, an unlikely friendship forged.

Ms Donovan said her father — a German — became close friends with British migrants Eric and Marie Maxton, despite having been on opposite sides during WWII.

“Eric and Marie Maxton were Poms and my father was German and they were fighting against each other in the war and then they became best friends,” she said.

“The Maxton brothers flew in the same aircraft in Britain (in the war) against Germany.

“He became good friends with the Maxtons.

“They were farmers out there — they were like our neighbours and they gave my father a job working at the apple picking shed where he used to pack the apples in the wooden cases.”

With support from locals who lent him equipment in the early days, Ms Donovan said her father slowly built his honey business from the ground up.

“He did the honey business all on his own with not much help but we all (family) had to help,” she said.

Ms Donovan said she remembered spending hours helping her father doing jobs for his honey business.

“I remember putting all the labels on (the jars) by hand and putting all the tops on,” she said.

“We used to have to help bottle the honey and then he would go and deliver all the honey to all the stores in Albany.”

Mr Amann managed every part of his honey process from extracting honey to making his own bees wax foundation using machinery sourced from Germany.

“Where the wax was made it was a very hot room as it had to be a certain temperature,” Ms Donovan said.

“He had the hives and would make the frames and we did the wax.

“Mum would be on one end and he’d be putting it through the other end and if it broke he would carry on.”

In 1966, he opened Albany’s first mead house marking a milestone in his business journey.

Ms Donovan said his contribution to the Albany community was recognised with the naming of Mead Road.

“He got permission to name that road Mead Road after him making his honey mead,” she said.

Mr Amann died in 1992, and Ms Donovan said if her dad was here today he would still be beekeeping.

“If Dad was here today, I don’t know how he would handle all the technology but I think he would still be making honey.”