Sarah Stillman-Douse
| Town/City | Kanumbra |
|---|---|
| First name | Sarah |
| Last name | Stillman-Douse |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 3/3/1842 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1867 |
| Submitted by | Robyn Dickens |
Story
Sarah worked in service in Keevil, England. At 24, she decided to migrate to Australia due to the government of the day’s assisted passage for young single workers to help build the colonies. Her employer in England must have thought highly of her because Sarah was given an old but sturdy large wooden chest in which to pack her belongings for the journey. This was liberally coated in tar to prevent salt water damage in the hold of the ship.
She travelled unaccompanied, a determined and independant minded woman, who, unusually for her day did not marry until 31 years of age to Australian born James Fry, whose family had property near Merri Creek. Sarah and James had six children, all of whom married.
Sarah’s tar covered chest remained with her daughter, then grand-daughter. It held garden tools in the garage for a while, until her great, great grandson had the tar stripped off and the the wood polished. This beautiful cedar chest which accompanied Sarah on her journey of a lifetime is now well treasured by Sarah’s decendants. It holds many memories.