Design and Art Australia Online

painter and novelist, was born in Portland, Jamaica, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Poitier who was serving there in the British Army, and Sara, née Hunter, from the Bahamas. She lived at Nassau in the Bahamas until both parents died, then, aged eighteen, moved to Ireland, where she married Captain Virginius Murray in 1844. Murray retired from the army and came to Victoria in search of gold in 1852. He was appointed a commissioner on the goldfields, first at Beechworth, then at Dunolly. Elizabeth and their five sons followed him to Melbourne in 1855 but remained in the city while Virginius lived on the goldfields. Disappointed with the place (especially its schools), Elizabeth returned to England at the end of 1859 with the four youngest boys and settled at Harrow. Her husband died in Victoria on Christmas Day 1861.

With the aim of drawing attention to the deficiencies of the colony for young women, and having written earlier successful novels, Elizabeth wrote Ella Norman; or, a Woman’s Perils (London 1864), the story of a poor governess and her depressing adventures in Victoria. It was considered one-sided and full of 'bitter invectives’ by Victorian reviewers. Nevertheless, novel-writing may have proved financially rewarding for she managed to send her sons to Harrow.

Her great-grandson Sir Brian Murray, the then governor of Victoria, stated in his preface to the reprint of her book (Melbourne 1985) that Elizabeth 'painted with a good deal of skill in oils and water colour’. No Australian subjects, however, are known or, perhaps, likely. She died on 27 December 1877. Many of her descendants now live in Australia.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011