MORGAN, Susannah

Susannah Morgan was born around 1826 and was one of the first women on the Ballarat Goldfields according to the Ballarat Pioneer Roll.  She was also recorded on a montage housed at Ballarat’s Gold Museum honouring pioneer women of Ballarat.

She arrived in Australia in 1853 and soon after travelled to Ballarat.  She first dug for gold in 1853 at Eureka.  Her husband, Matthew Morgan, was a tentmaker in Main Road, Ballarat East.  It was largely rumoured that two female tentmakers, Mrs Morgan and Mrs Oliver made the flag for the insurgents at Eureka.  Susannah Morgan would have had the opportunity, experience and premises to undertake such a venture.  Oliver and Morgan reported however that around the time of Eureka that they made a flag to order, but they thought the flag they made bore the Lone Star of Texas in the middle.  They were not sure whether it bore the Stars and Stripes in one corner.  Both testified that the flag in the Art Gallery was not the one that they made.  Withers wrote that ‘All they seem to know is that they made a flag to somebody’s order in the usual way of their business at that time.  Morgan and Oliver are listed in the 1855 Ballarat Street Directory.  Matthew Morgan was a tentmaker in Main Road, Ballarat East.  They later lived near Lake Wendouree.  He died on 17th January 1903 aged 82 years and was buried in the same grave as Susannah who died on 26th June 1905 aged 79 years.

Sarah is buried at the Ballarat New Cemetery – Weslyan A Section 7 Grave 1