Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 - 1918), Monday 21 February 1916, page 4


DEATH OF A PIONEER.

On Thursday morning there passed away one of the oldest of our pion-eers. Mrs. Jane Kirkwood, relict of the late William Kirkwood, of Buck-ley Swamp. Mrs. Kirkwood was born in Paisley, Scotland, in February, 1822, and had just passed her 94th birthday. She was married to her

late husband in 1842, and with him emigrated to Australia in 1852, arriv-ing in Portland in the ship John Da-vis, in November, after a voyage of aboutt four months. Their first situa-tion was an up-country station call-ed Warrock, and the journey was made from Portland in a bullock dray, camping underneath it at night. Many were the hardships endured in

the wild bush in those far back days, and many and varied were the remin-iscences of the aged pioneer. Mrs.

Kirkwood was an energetic worker,

and was able to go about and per-form many little household duties up to the day preceding her last illness,

which commenced six weeks ago. She was the mother of a large family, most of whom died in infancy. Three daughters—Mrs. Chadderton, Miss Kirkwood, and Mrs. Carter—are left to mourn the loss of one of the best of mothers. There are also 4 grand-children, and 23 great-grandchildren, ;all of whom were loved and cared for

by their aged grandmother. Mrs. Kirkwood was "the last of her own

family, and also the last, of the old Buckley pioneers who settled in the district about 54 years ago. She will be much missed by these who knew her best, and for whose comfort and welfare she never ceased to care.