Lucy Beeton facts for kids

Lucy Beeton (born May 14, 1829 – died July 7, 1886) was an Aboriginal Tasmanian schoolteacher, trader, and Christian leader. She was known for her strong faith and for helping her community.

Early Life and Family

Lucy Beeton was born on Gun Carriage Island. This island is part of the Furneaux Group in the eastern Bass Strait. At that time, it was called Van Diemen's Land, which is now Tasmania (also known as Lutruwita). Her family also lived on Badger Island.

Her father, Thomas Beeton, came from a Jewish family in London. He was sent to Tasmania in 1817. He became a sealer in Bass Strait. Lucy's mother was an Aboriginal woman named Bet Smith, whose Palawa name was Emmerenna. She lived with Thomas Beeton. It is said that Thomas Beeton cared deeply for his wife and children.

In 1831, when Lucy was two years old, her father had to leave Gun Carriage Island. This was because George Augustus Robinson wanted to create a settlement only for Aboriginal people there. Lucy and her mother stayed in the settlement. However, Thomas Beeton asked if his family could live with him. The Lieutenant-Governor, George Arthur, agreed. Later, Robinson's settlement moved to Flinders Island. This allowed the Beeton family to live together on Gun Carriage Island again.

Lucy Beeton's Career and Faith

As Lucy Beeton grew up, her father taught her how to sail and manage a business. She later went to George Town and Launceston for more schooling.

During her education, Lucy became friends with important leaders from the Church of England. With their help, she started a school on both Gun Carriage and Badger Islands. She asked the government to pay for teachers and taught the local children herself. People respected her strong Christian faith and her leadership. She taught both religious lessons and regular school subjects. For her hard work, she was given a lifetime lease of Badger Island in 1877.

The Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, Francis Russell Nixon, wrote about Lucy in 1854. He said she was a wonderful lady and a friend to everyone. He admired her strong Christian beliefs and how she worked to help others. He noted that she gathered the children of the sealers every day. She taught them basic school subjects and religious knowledge out of pure love for them.

Lucy also worked to protect the Bass Strait islanders from sealers who sometimes took advantage of them. She argued that Indigenous people should be paid for their lands that had been taken. In 1872, she invited Truganini, a famous Aboriginal woman, to live on Badger Island, but Truganini did not accept the offer.

Beeton was also a well-known trader and businesswoman. People called her the "Queen of the Isle" and the "commodore." By 1886, she owned her own boat, the "Bella Beeton." She sailed and traded with her brother Harry Beeton. Later, she ran her own sheep and cattle farm on Badger Island. Historian Stephen Murray-Smith called her "the most notable personality produced by the second generation of islanders."

Lucy Beeton never married. She lived with her brothers, James and Henry, and their families in her home on Badger Island. She welcomed many visitors and enjoyed singing hymns. She passed away on Badger Island on July 7, 1886, and was buried there. News of her death reached Launceston on July 12, 1886.

Lucy Beeton's Legacy

Lucy Beeton is remembered in several ways. Lucy Beeton Crescent in Bonner, Australian Capital Territory, is named after her. The University of Tasmania also has a Lucy Beeton Aboriginal teacher scholarship.

A shell necklace made by Lucy Beeton is kept in the collection of the Tasmanian Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.

See also

In Spanish: Lucy Beeton para niños