Among the many children buried in Colac Cemetery are twins Monica and John William Dowling, whose brief lives tell a story of family love and loss in nineteenth-century Victoria.
The twins were born to James and Mary Ann Dowling of Elliminyt. James was a farmer, and by the time Monica and John arrived, Mary Ann was caring for five children aged eight and under. Life was busy in the growing household, and the twins' arrival would have brought both joy and new challenges.
Tragically, neither child survived infancy. Monica was one of many babies of the era who failed to thrive and died within weeks of birth. Her brother John was born with hydrocephalus, then commonly known as "water on the brain." He lived for seven months before his death.
A touching detail survives on John's death certificate. The duration of his final illness was recorded not simply as seven months, but as "seven months and ten hours." Whether noted by a doctor or a grieving parent, the precision reflects the attention given to every precious moment of his short life.
Although Monica and John lived only briefly, they were part of a large and loving family. Mary Ann, who had been orphaned and had no siblings, found belonging in the extensive Dowling family. Her husband James was the eldest of nine children, and together they would eventually have ten children. Apart from the twins, all survived infancy.
Today, Monica and John rest beside their maternal grandparents. Their lives were short, but they were cherished members of a family whose memory lives on through the stories preserved in Colac Cemetery.
Research by Merrill O’Donnell
Story by Norma Bakker

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