On 23 September 1849 Emily Bacon was born at Pendleton, Lancashire. She was the daughter of John Bacon, a coachmaker, and his wife Mary nee Platt.
In late 1852 the Bacon family, paying its own passage, emigrated to Australia. They sailed on the Barrackpore, landing in Melbourne in February 1853. By the early 1860s, they had settled in Avoca.
From 1861 Emily Bacon was employed as a teacher, first at Avoca, then at Talbot. She returned to Avoca. In 1885 she resigned due to ill health and received a superannuation allowance. She had been a teacher for nearly twenty-two years. Emily Bacon’s teaching record commends her as a “very energetic, useful and capable teacher, attentive to her duties and assiduous in their discharge”.
In Avoca she was much involved in charitable causes. She was:
- Honorary Secretary for the Ladies’ Committee for the Industrial Schools
- Honorary Secretary for the Avoca Ladies’ Benevolent Society from the time of its establishment in 1884
- Secretary and Associate for the Avoca Girls’ Friendly Society
- Secretary for the Gleaners’ Union
- Collector for the Parochial Fund of St John’s Church
- Agent for the Church Missionary Society
- Distributer for the Bible and Prayer Union
- and assisted at nearly all the meetings, etc, in connection with St John’s Church of England.
Following the death of her father in 1891 Emily Bacon was appointed Secretary to the Avoca Cemetery Trustees, and Agent for the Australian Mutual Provident Society.
Emily Bacon was buried at Avoca Cemetery on 20 February 1894. The burial register records she died of dropsy on 18 February.
Emily died intestate. Her sister Ellen Moore administered her estate.
Avoca Mail, Friday 23 February 1894, page 2
DEATH OF MISS BACON.
It is with sincere regret that we announce the demise of Miss Bacon, in the midst of her career, at the comparatively early age of 44 years. The immediate cause of death was dropsy and weakness of the heart, but for many years the deceased lady had suffered with asthma.
Although not an Australian native she arrived in the colony with her late father and mother at such an early age that she could almost he considered one. The family have resided in Avoca for over thirty years.
When but a girl Miss Bacon commenced her career by teaching in the Avoca School under the headmastership of Mr Willox, who attended at her funeral on Tuesday. Later on she obtained a position in the Talbot school under the same gentleman, and subsequently returned once more to the Avoca state school, which was then conducted by Mr Macadam, and there she taught for many years, eventually having to retire on her pension owing to ill-health during Mr Barrowclough's regime.
Some years before this Miss Bacon had been appointed hon. Secretary for the Ladies' Committee for the Industrial Schools, which position she filled up to the time of her death, and the committee assure us her place will be hard to fill. In 1884 the Avoca Ladies' Benevolent Society was established, and Miss Bacon was appointed hon. Secretary. Last month, when Dr Grimmer informed her that her illness was of a serious nature. She wished to resign but at the request of the Ladies' committee continued to act to the Iast. She did her duty nobly and well, and it will be indeed difficult for the Society to replace the services of one who was so self-denying, and who afforded so much of her time to the work of assisting to help the poor. The deceased lady was Secretary and Associate for the Avoca Girls' Friendly Society for the past seven years, and her death will cause a gap that the girls will be sorry to see, for many pleasant evening have they spent with their beloved Secretary's assistance. She was also Secretary for the Gleaners' Union ; Collector for the Parochial Fund of St John's Church; Agent for the Church Missionary Society ; Distributer for the Bible and Prayer Union ; and assisted at nearly all the meetings, etc, in connection with St John's Church of England. In fact she did more than her share of work in every good object connected with the town.
At her father's death two years since Miss Bacon was appointed Secretary to the Avoca Cemetery Trustees, and Agent for the Australian Mutual Provident Society, these being the only paid offices she held. It is not often, as the Rev, Mr Ball said at her funeral, that it is the lot of one person to fill so many positions, and it was rare to find one so able and willing to do so. It required a great deal of self-denial and work on the part of the deceased lady to to accomplish them all, but with God's help she did so. The rev. gentleman said it was not to be expected that another would he found ready to fulfil all the duties, but it was hoped several would come forward to fill the vacant places. During her illness Miss Bacon expressed her gratification at finding so many desirous of showing her their gratitude in every possible way, and she was very thankful to God for allowing her to feel so much kindness from those amongst whom she had so long resided. Her only sister, Mrs Moore was not able to be with her, but her old friend Mrs Sproston continuously attended her to the last, and others united in making her last hours as easy and happy as possible. The funeral took place on Tuesday afternoon, and was attended by a great many sorrowing friends and acquaintances, the Board of Advice closing the school as a mark of respect. The deceased's sister was enabled to arrive from Harrietville in time to attend.
A portion of the funeral service was held at St John's Church, the Rev J. A. Ball officiating. The coffin was placed in front of the communion rail, and was covered with beautiful flowers, floral wreaths, anchors and crosses, which were sent by friends in Avoca, Ballarat and elsewhere. One very handsome white porcelain wreath was sent by the Committee of the Avoca Ladies' Benevolent Society, as a token of love and respect to their Iate Secretary ; this wreath was chosen on account of being more lasting than the natural flowers. The members of the Committee joined in the cortege, all going in a drag kindly provided by Mr Wiltshire. The pulpit and the deceased lady's pew were draped in black, tied with white, and a very elegant wreath of white dahlias and maiden hair fern was placed on the pew by Mrs Sproston. The Rev J. A. Ball delivered a very feeling address, and the choir sang 'O.God our help in ages past' and 'There is a blessed home.' Miss Sweet, the organist, played the dead march as the remains of the deceased were carried from the church. The cortege was a lengthy one, and on arrival at the cemetery numbers were found waiting there. After concluding the burial service Mr Ball addressed a few remarks to those assembled, pointing out the self denying work of the deceased in the midst or ill-health, and hoping that others would follow in her footsteps, doing good as she had done.
We will conclude this short memoir of the late esteemed Miss Bacon, with the motto of the Girls' Friendly Society, of which she was Secretary, ' Bear ye one another's burdens.
Wikitree: Emily Bacon (1849-1894)
