In 1870, the arrival of the first immigrant ships to Hobart saw a large influx of German and Danish[5] migrants who settled in the area, attracted by the cheap land and an abundance of clean water.

Due to the lack of a stabilising Lutheran presence, some of the Germans in Bismarck ended up joining the American fundamentalists, the Seventh Day Adventists, who arrived in the region in 1889.

[8][9] A Lutheran church was finally opened in Hobart on 11 August 1871[10] and remains active today[11] but none was ever built in Bismarck.

"[7] Opposing a previous petition that had instigated the called for the change, "Councillor G H Voss said [his] deputation, which comprised himself, Misters Alfred Totenhöfer, H J Smith, Levi Newman, Walter Neilsen, W Brockman, Fred Gall, and F and H Fehlberg was composed entirely of residents in the postal area of Bismarck...

The petition opposed the proposal to alter the name on personal grounds, and the petitioners were practically all of Tasmanian birth, including descendants of the Danish and German settlers who had really founded the settlement... On general grounds it was urged that the change of name would create bad feeling amongst settlers who had hitherto dwelt in amity together... Mr Voss said that the produce of Bismarck would compare with any in the State and their [agricultural] shows had won a good reputation.

Referring to a statement made by a speaker of the previous deputation that the produce of the district might be prejudiced owing to its place of origin, Mr Voss contended that there was no foundation in that argument.

This name change marked the beginning of the persecution of Tasmanians of German descent, who were the largest non-British national group in the local population.