Hannah Leckie
Contents
Background
Hannah Cowan was born in 1833 on the Wee Cumbrae Isle in the Firth of Clyde, Ayrshire, West Kilbride, Scotland. Hannah followed her husband Peter Leckie to Australia in 1853, on the Screw Steamer Lady Bird, arriving in Victoria in 1853. Hannah earned her passage as a nursemaid for James, the child of the first Mayor of Ballarat, Matthew Campbell. They pitched a tent on the site of the Eureka Stockade. [1]
Goldfields Involvement, 1854
At the time of the Eureka Stockade riot Peter could not go out, as Hannah hid his trousers. Hannah sheltered behind a sea chest in a tent, the Campbell child in her arms with bullets whistling overhead.[2]
Post 1854 Experiences
Hannah and Peter had 8 children, they named one of their sons Matthew Campbell Leckie. When Peter died Hannah shifted to Brunswick and was a shopkeeper there. Two of her daughters, Hannah and Isabella had a grocery store at 5 Audley Street Coburg. Their mother Hannah died in 1912 and is buried in Coburg Cemetery with 3 of her daughters.[3]
See also
Further Reading
Corfield, J., Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
