Emily Anderson’s life was shaped by the distinctive world of Victoria’s coastal lighthouses. Born Emily Catherine Stevens in Belfast (now Port Fairy) in 1864, she was the eldest of five children of William Stevens, a lighthouse keeper, and Susan Davis. Her childhood was unusual as the family moved between lighthouse stations along Victoria’s rugged east and west coastlines, living within the close-knit communities that developed around these isolated outposts.
In 1886, Emily married James Alexander Anderson, a station manager at Cape Otway. Together they built a life in the Colac district, raising three children—Florence, William and Arthur—whose births between 1887 and 1892 brought much joy to the young family.
In 1896, while James was in Western Australia, Emily fell victim to an influenza epidemic. Pneumonia followed and, after only five days of illness, she died at her Corangamite Street home. Her children were only eight, six and three years old. It is difficult not to reflect on how heartbreaking those final days must have been for a young mother separated from her husband and facing the prospect of leaving her children behind. Her brother, Arthur Stevens, bore the sorrowful responsibility of registering her death.
Her obituary remembered her as “a most kindly dispositioned lady,” and the large attendance at her funeral reflected the affection and respect she inspired.
After his return from Western Australia, James took the children to New South Wales, where he had been born. He never remarried and, in 1902, died at the home of his sister and brother-in-law at Mount Keira. Just seven years after losing their mother, Florence, William and Arthur were left without either parent, aged fifteen, thirteen and eleven.

Research by Merrill O'Donnell
Story by Merrill O'Donnell


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