Sarah Susanna Bunbury

Sarah Susanna Bunbury arrived in Melbourne with her husband, retired naval captain Richard Hanmer Bunbury in 1836. He was appointed Magistrate in 1841. Later he and Sarah built a two-storey home called Stanney in Alphington. Sarah was an accomplished artist and painted several paintings of Alphington (one of which can be seen in the book ‘Surviving the six o’clock swill: a history of Darebin’s hotels).

In 1841 Bunbury was appointed Magistrate and this was followed in 1842 with an appointment as Superintendent of Water Police in Williamstown. For a while Bunbury commuted from his home in Alphington, however by 1843 they had moved to Williamstown. In 1844 Bunbury became the Harbour Master. He returned to England in 1857, dying in the same year. Presumably Sarah accompanied her husband back to England as there is no record of her dying in Victoria.

Cannon, Michael (1991). Old Melbourne: before the gold rush. Victoria: Loch Haven Books.

Edge, Gary (2004). Surviving the six o’clock swill: a history of Darebin’s hotels. Melbourne: Darebin Libraries.