Sarah Jane White (m. Hayes)

Story

Sarah Jane White was one of fourteen children born to Margaret and Thomas White in Brandon, County Durham in England. Thomas was a miner and as times in England were very poor, they sent Sarah aged 15 years and Margaret ages 18 years to Australia to be met by another sister Mary.

They sailed on the Vedic in 1926 and were 7 weeks at sea. They arrived in Melbourne on a hot summer morning and were met by Mary.

Sarah was sent to work as a domestic for a wealthy family, where she must have been very lonely, and waited for a year for her parents to arrive with her younger sister Doris and brother Stanley.

The money that the girls earned was sent home to their parents to help them to come to Australia. Sarah worked at various jobs even spending a year in New Zealand working for her brother Nathaniel.

At the age of 20 years she met her future husband Francis Albert Hayes (frank) who was born in Middle park in Victoria. They kept company for 6 years, then married. They went on to have 3 children, Helen, Frank and John, 11 grandchildren and today, great grandchildren number 29.

During her marriage Sarah was a talented, self taught seamstress who not only clothed her children but supplemented the family\’s income. Everything from pyjamas to school uniforms to evening gowns. Her smocking was beautiful and I remember she was paid 3d a line. During World War II Sarah and her family lost one brother, a brother-in-law and a nephew. A big loss for one family.

Unfortunately, she never had the opportunity to return to visit England but Frank Jnr and Helen have done so and were impressed by the warmth and beauty there.

Sarah and Frank did travel around Australia and to Indonesia after Frank\’s retirement. They eventually settled on the Central Coast of N.S.W. where they were very happy.

In 1992 Frank died. A sad loss for Sarah. He was a good man who worshipped her and her children.

Sarah loved to garden and was very good at it. There would be petunias, lilacs, roses, orchids, carrots, lettuce, apples and plums all growing in together. She said it was more interesting that way and they do better, and it was and they always did.

In 1997 Sarah died peacefully holding Helen\’s hand, Frank close by and John and family arriving soon after from Melbourne.

We never saw her courage falter, her armour get dented or tarnish, people were drawn to her and she turned no-one away.

This fiercely proud Englishwoman displayed a resolution to a moral and ethical quality of life. For her family she would fight off hell\’s demons and never flinch. She was also a charming and interesting lady who never wasted one minute of one day of her full life.

Sarah\’s whole family will always be proud of her.

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