‘
The identity of another white girl baby born before 1844 has been established: Mrs William Hogg, of ‘Bona Vista’, Murdock Street, Brunswick, was born at Captain Brown’s station on July 13, 1841. This was somewhere in the vicinity of the Preston district.
When one day old she was stolen by a band of aborigines. The nurse who had come from town to attend her mother, Mrs A. Lorimer (later well-known at Faithful’s Creek, Balmattum) had no fancy for the blacks[1]. In fact, they terrified her, and she insisted on returning to town. It meant a day’s journey, a bullock wagon being the only mode of transit. Mr Lorimer accompanied her, leaving his wife and infant daughter in the cottage. Soon after his departure the blacks stole into the house and captured the baby.
It was nearly dusk before help came. A horseman (Mr W. Davis) heard cries for help, discovered the cause, and was soon in hot pursuit. He bribed the band of aborigines with a handful of silver coins, for which they gladly surrendered the baby. When rescued she had been in the camp twelve hours, but suffered no injury.
Thirty years later Mrs Hogg renewed acquaintance with her benefactor, meeting him in a casual way at Euroa. Mrs Hogg is thought to be the first baby girl christened at St Francis Church. Since her marriage she has lived at Mangalore, Euroa, Strathbogie, Maindample, Gobur and lnverell.’
Source: Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic.: 1869 – 1954) Sat 25 Oct 1913 Page 10
Editor’s note: The stolen baby was Sarah Jane Lorimer who married William Hogg in 1863. Sarah Jane died at Brunswick in 1925 aged 83.