Elizabeth Callaghan

Elizabeth Callaghan (1802–1852; also Eliza Thompson, She travelled with 103 other convicts on 6 June 1821 and arrived in Hobart on 7 January 1822. The town of Mount Eliza near Melbourne is named after her.

Early life Callaghan had roots in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. She worked as a servant. It has been said that her family of origin were land owners and her grandfather of exceptional wealth. There appears to be some separation of Elizabeth’s father from her grandparents and suggestions that her father was a very unhappy man. Her mother was an elegant, learned and strong lady of exceptional character. The family struggled, and Callaghan was sent on her way at just seventeen. Beautiful, elegant, fiery and learned – her mother was confident that she would easily find her place in the world.

The couple had seven daughters and a son. Their only son, John Charles Batman, died aged just 8 or 9 years old by drowning in the Yarra River on 11 January 1845.

Batman became ill around 1835, and in February 1839 Elizabeth sailed to England. He died on 6 May 1839 but she only heard of this when she returned to Australia in March 1840. His will left her only £5, which she and her second husband challenged in a lengthy but unsuccessful lawsuit. At this time she was known as Sara Willoughby and had been described as "of somewhat abandoned character".