Nineteenth-century German immigrants and visitors had a notable influence in many fields. Among them were:
- scientists Sir Julius von Haast, Ernst Dieffenbach, and Ferdinand von Hochstetter
- artists Eugène von Guérard, Wilhelm Dittmer and Anton Teutenberg
- musicians Michael Balling, Julius Lemmer and Karl Schmitt
- businessmen Bendix Hallenstein, Joseph Kühtze, Louis Ehrenfried and his nephew Arthur Myers
- missionaries Johann Friedrich Riemenschneider, Johann Friedrich Wohlers, Johannes W. C. Heine and Carl Sylvius Völkner.
Most Germans settled in English-speaking towns, and the larger cities had German-speaking quarters. Some German immigrants also founded rural communities. Although some of these early settlements still exist, in many cases there is little sign of their origins.