Hannah Hutchinson was one of the first European women to make her home in Otago. She was born at St Leonards in Sussex in about 1811 and family tradition has it that she met her future husband in London during the celebration of Queen Victoria’s coronation in 1837. They married the following year and promptly set out for New South Wales as farming emigrants. Hannah did not enjoy the Sydney climate, however, and in 1840 she and David crossed the Tasman to Otago with their infant daughter Harriet. Working for John Jones at Waikouaiti, the family was struck by tragedy when little Harriet was drowned soon after their arrival.
Two more children were born at Waikouaiti. The first child, Julia, born in 1841, was the first to be born to two European parents in Otago. This gave Julia a degree of fame among the early settlers for the rest of her life. Other children followed after the family moved to Careys Bay. Ultimately Hannah produced nine more children after Harriet’s death and all of them survived to adulthood.
David named the west harbour area St Leonards after Hannah’s home town in England. After a long and challenging life as a pioneer, Hannah had the joy of celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary surrounded by family and friends in 1888. Her health deteriorated soon afterwards and she died at Careys Bay later that year, aged 71.
Mrs Hannah Carey (née Hutchinson)