PIONEER’S DEATH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 927, 21 March 1930, Page 16

PIONEER’S DEATH

MRS. SARAH ANN SMY 58 YEARS IN NEW ZEALAND A pioneer of New Zealand of 5S years’ residence, Mrs. Sarah Ann Smy, died at her home in Birkenhead on Wednesday in her SBth year. A native of Prestbury, Gloucestershire, Mrs. Smy came to the Dominion when 30 years of age, celebrating her birthday on board the ship Hindustan a few days out of Dunedin, and was the guest at a party given in her honour by Captain White, master of the ship. For some years after her marriage to Mr. John Austin, she lived in Dunedin, and then moved to Christchurch, where she was engaged in business for some years after her husband’s death. Twenty-nine years ago she married Mr. Thomas Smy, who died in 1914. For eight years she lived in Poverty

Bay, and later came to live in Parnell, finally settling down in Birkenhead, where she lived for the last 11 years. Mr. Smy came to New Zealand as a railway guard, but when he arrived here was not a foot of iron rail in the South Island. The first engine and rails were part of the cargo brought by the Hindustan. Unemployment was rife at the time, and five years elapsed before Mr. Smy could obtain regular work. During this time Mrs. Smy was able to maintain the home by her own efforts. The work habit of her youth was never broken, and during the war she was a prominent worker in patriotic organisations, and even in the last few years she sewed assiduously for charitable purposes. The funeral took place yesterday.