Life Story

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Standing here at the Bird family grave, we are reminded of both the promise and heartbreak that shaped their lives. James Bird rests here with five of his eight children—three of whom died in infancy.

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James married Annie Harrison in 1866 and their first child, Elizabeth, was born in Ballarat in 1868. The family soon moved to Birregurra, where Edith, James and Henry were born. After settling in Colac their twins Annie and Ethel arrived in 1875, followed by Lillias and Mabel.
 

But joy was shadowed by loss. In August 1876, little Annie, just eleven months old, died after a brief illness. Less than two months later, Henry died aged just two years and eight months. In 1880, tragedy returned with the death of baby Mabel. These repeated losses were a heavy burden for any family to bear.

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James himself died in 1885, leaving Annie widowed with five surviving children. A capable and determined woman, she continued as licensee of the Brewers Arms Hotel and managed the Railway Refreshment Rooms. In 1887 she married Joshua Haberfield.

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Yet sorrow did not end there. In 1888, Edith died aged just eighteen. Years later, in 1908, Ethel—only recently married to David Little and relocated to Echuca, fell gravely ill. Her family rushed to her side but arrived only the evening before she died. She was brought home to Colac by train and laid to rest here with her father and siblings.

This grave tells a powerful story—of resilience, love and lives cut far too short.

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Research by Jill Judd
Story by Merrill O’Donnell
Narrated by Deb Baillie

© 2026 Colac & District Family History Group Inc. 
All rights reserved. 

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Life stories have been researched and compiled by the Colac & District Family History Group Inc. and its independent contributors. This material must not be copied or reproduced without permission. AI tools have been used to assist. 

 

For more information, please contact the Colac & District Family History Group Inc.