John studied engineering (originally schooled at the same school as the Prince Consort, although at a different time, had attended) in Hamburg. His father (also JC) was descended from the 16th century philosopher Jacob Boehme, born in 1575. His father was a wealthy merchant and ship owner in Hamburg and had a friend in the shipping business, and John was sent on a world cruise to complete his education. The ship, “Australia”, carried the first railway track (and rolling stock?) to the Colony of Victoria. However, nobody in the Colony could read German and do logarithms (to calculate the railway curves), and so John Boehme’s job was created for him in the railways. One story was that he worked on the line (first with a private company) that was laid from Melbourne to Geelong.

According to his Obituary “Mr. J.C. Boehme, one of the oldest railway officers in Victoria, died at Brunswick on February 8th at the advanced age of 80 years. From 1853 to 1892 he served the department as mathematician and engineer’s draughtsman - the first locomotive engine built in the colony being constructed to his design and under his supervision.

John Christian Boehme was naturalised on the 29th January 1894. He was married to Julie Helffenstein on the 13 January 1866 at her home in Collingwood Victoria. His occupation was shown as ‘Engineer’. They had 3 sones and 2 daughters: Gustav, Dorothea, John Henry, Emilia Amanada, Charles Willilam.1082