If only someone had got to Bert in time and told him that one day, Ganmain would become the Cab 12 centre of the Universe. That would have raised his spirits immensely.
Although when enlisted, Bertold Theodore Immanuel Wiesner was a Farmer at Ganmain, he was born in Walla Walla. Walla Walla was founded by a group of German Lutheran Zionists who trekked overland from Adelaide. Nearby (at Walbundrie) is a Wiesner's Swamp, so the family were at least prominent in that group. Although upright and hard-working, the christian group were proud of their German roots and remained independant of wider Australian interaction.
Of course, you might have to consider that his German name might have some bearing on his thoughts on life once back in Australia. He would have no doubt have had many hurdles to clear to enlist in the first place, perhaps had some conflicting experiences in Europe relating to his German heritage, and despite his AIF service, would still have faced the prospect of some anti-German animosity on his return. Perhaps his family or community had been harassed while he was away, again despite his service (Nearby to Walla Walla and Walbundrie was the village of Germanton. Public anti-German agitation in WW1 saw the name changed to Holbrook).
From Wikipedia (if you can consider that reliable): "At the turn of the twentieth century, Walla Walla was charactered by its close-knit community which contributed to its preservation of the German language and the old ways. Although the First World War fostered a sense of nationalism (albeit strongly allied to the British Empire) this period was a challenging time for the Walla Walla community due to its ethnicity and the political issues of conscription and disenfranchisement from the electoral roll. According to one view, Walla Walla was reported as 'Berlin' and a 'hotbed of disloyalty'. In all, four local residents, including two Justices of the Peace and members of the Culcairn Shire Council were interned in the Holdsworthy Concentration Camp."
Depending on the extent of his injuries, he may have not liked his prospects of being capable of returning to a life of farming and physical activity, without any of the disability support and welfare programs that are taken for granted today.
And the fact that he was returning on a Hospital ship relatively alone as compared to his "Mates" returning together on a troopship in a group would have also made him feel isolated.
Today, there are organisations such as
R U OK to help people from getting to the point of considering suicide, but back in WW1 there was little consideration of the risks and danger signs, even on such a hotspot as a Hospital Ship. What Psychological expertise there was didn't recognise PTSD or depression and tended to write it off as shell shock or malingering. Harden up, Man! Get yourself together!
PS the phone directory shows
many listings for "Wiesner" in the Walla Walla, Walbundrie and Holbrook areas, so some part of the family line continued on.