Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

Obituary
MRS. S. SHUMACK
The death has occurred at
a private hospital in Strath-
field of Mrs. Sarah Shumack
in her 83rd year, widow of
the late Samuel Shumack.
Both the late Mr. and Mrs.
Shumack were members of
well known pioneer families
who arrived from England
in 1856 and settled on the
land at Canberra.
Mrs. Shumack was the
daughter of the late Mr. and
Mrs. John Winter of Red Hill
Canberra. Of the family of
eight only two are now living
—Mr. David Winter, of Yass
and Mrs. Elizabeth Ginn, of
Canberra. As an old pioneer
of the district Mrs. Ginn,
now aged 78 was presented
to Her Majesty Queen Eliza-
beth II on her recent visit
to Canberra.
The Shumack family had
regularly attended historic
St. John's Church of Eng-
land, Canberra for many
years and in 1951 a mem-
orial window was erected in
the old church to Samuel
Shumack's memory.
Frederick Campbell of
Yarralumba built the his-
toric home of that name
(now Government House,
Canberra) for his bride Miss
Christine McPhee, a cousin
of Mrs. Shumack.
Granny Shumack's record
of service as a pioneer of
the Australian outback is
both romantic and astonish-
ing.
She had eight children and
managed to rear eight others
as well.
She acted as doctor, nurse
midwife, delivering 26 babies
into the world in the days
when Canberra was an out-
post of civilisation far from
medical aid.
On their land being re-
sumed in 1915 by the Federal
Government for the building
of the capital, Mr. and Mrs.
Shumack moved to Hebden
where they lived for many
years.
The late Mrs. Shumack
was laid to rest beside her
husband in St. John's
churchyard.
The funeral was a most
impressive sight, numerous
friends and relatives coming
not only from Canberra and
district but also from Syd-
ney, Maitland, Singleton,
Yass, Young, and Tharwa.
Archdeacon Arthur conduct-
ed the service.
Seven of her eight children
survive. They are Mrs.
Barnes (Camden) Mrs. Olsen
(Weston), Mrs. Arundel
(Sydney), Sgt. D. Shumack
(Emmaville), Sgt. S. Shu-
mack (Sydney), Constable
Stephen Shumack (Mait-
land) and Mr. J. E. Shumack
of Hebden.
$