Life Story

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Susannah Smith was just sixteen when she married William Allen in Astwood, Buckinghamshire. Still little more than a girl, she stepped into a life of responsibility that would shape the decades ahead. Over thirty-two years she bore eight children, raising them with care and resilience. Only her second child, young Thomas, was lost in infancy—a sorrow she carried while continuing to nurture those who remained. Alongside motherhood, Susanna worked as a lace maker and opened her home to her widowed mother, Sarah, binding together three generations.

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In 1853, after her mother’s death, Susannah and her family undertook the long voyage to Australia aboard the Lady Kennaway. It was a journey of hope and uncertainty, ending in Victoria’s Western District, where new roots were laid. Life continued to bring both joy and heartbreak. Marriages, births, and new beginnings were tempered by deep tragedy. In 1860, her daughter Sarah died following the birth of a child, taken in circumstances that speak to the fragility of life in those times. That same year brought further grief when another daughter, Lucy, was widowed.

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The family moved again—first to Paraparap, then finally to Yeo, where they settled. Yet even there, sorrow followed. In 1871, Susannah lost her son William, drowned in a tragic accident at just eighteen.

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In her final years, Susannah suffered from paralysis and increasing debility. After a lifetime spent caring for others, it was she who came to rely on the support of those around her. There was no death notice or obituary to mark her passing, yet her family ensured she would not be forgotten. The large headstone that bears her name—alongside those of loved ones laid to rest with her—stands as a lasting tribute to her life.

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Research by Raye Loughnan
Story by Norma Bakker
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. 

 

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