Sophia Campbell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sophia Palmer
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| Born | 14 December 1777 |
| Died | 5 May 1833 (aged 55) |
| Other names | Sophia |
| Spouse(s) | Robert Campbell (1769–1846) |
| Children | John Campbell (1802–1886) Robert Campbell (1804–1859) Sophia Ives Campbell (1812–1891) Charles Campbell (1810–1888) Sarah Jeffreys nee Campbell (1815–?) George P. Campbell (1818–1881) Frederick Marsden Campbell (1821–1885) |
| Parent(s) | John Palmer (1727–1808) Sarah Taylor (Abt 1735–1796) |
Sophia Campbell (born Palmer) was an important early settler in Australia. She lived from 1777 to 1833. She moved to Sydney from England and helped build the new colony.
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Early Life and Journey to Australia
Sophia Palmer was one of eight children. She was born in Portsmouth, England, and went to school in London. In November 1800, Sophia traveled to Sydney on a ship called the Porpoise.
Arriving with Family
She came with her brother, John Palmer, who was a naval officer. His family, another brother named Christopher, and her sister Sarah also came along. John Palmer had been to Sydney before in 1788. He was a Purser (an officer in charge of money and supplies) on the Sirius, which was the main ship of the First Fleet. He also worked as a Commissary General for New South Wales from 1791 to 1811. This meant he was in charge of supplying the colony. He was also a magistrate (a type of judge) from 1793.
Life in the New Colony
When Sophia first arrived, she lived on a piece of land given to her brother John. This land was 100 acres (about 40 hectares) and was called Woolloomooloo Farm.
Marriage and New Home
Less than a year later, on 17 September 1801, Sophia married Robert Campbell. He was a merchant from Scotland and was eight years older than her. They got married at St Philip's Church, Sydney.
After marrying, Sophia moved to Wharf House. This was Robert Campbell's home, located behind his wharves near Circular Quay in Sydney. She lived in Sydney for most of her life. She did make two trips back to England, one from 1805 to 1806 and another from 1810 to 1815. She also took shorter trips to different parts of New South Wales.
Later Life and Legacy
Sophia Campbell passed away in 1833. She was buried in St John’s Cemetery in Parramatta. For a long time, people thought Sophia was an artist. They believed she created two sketchbooks. However, in 2009, experts found out that these sketchbooks were actually made by someone else, Edward Charles Close. This meant there was no proof that Sophia was an artist.
