Not all children leave a lasting record behind them. Sarah Coney died in Geelong in 1858 at just four years of age. Her sister Mary died in Colac two years later, leaving little more than a death certificate recording her passing. In 1876, five-year-old Grace died after a short illness, her passing marked by a brief newspaper report.

Today, the names of all three girls survive only as a simple inscription on their parents' headstone. Yet together they help tell a larger story of a family whose faith and resilience endured despite repeated loss.

Richard and Sarah Coney married at St Mary’s, Newington, Surrey, before leaving England in 1854 to build a new life in colonial Victoria with their two young daughters. Settling first in Geelong and later in Colac, they would eventually raise a family of nine children.
The years brought both joy and sorrow. After the loss of Sarah and Mary, the family faced further heartbreak when young Grace died. Newspaper reports noted that her small coffin was carried by bearers from her parents’ home, while mourners followed behind on foot.

Yet grief never seemed to weaken Richard and Sarah’s faith. Instead, it strengthened it. Richard became one of the district’s best-known Methodist Sunday School leaders, serving for more than twenty years as superintendent and remaining connected with the school for nearly four decades. Sarah was remembered as one of Colac’s oldest and most respected Methodist church members.

Together they raised the children who survived, celebrated marriages and welcomed grandchildren. Through joy and heartbreak, they remained devoted to their family, church and community.
Today, their daughters’ names remind us not only of three young lives lost too soon, but also of the courage, endurance and faith that carried the Coney family through life’s greatest trials.

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

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

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.