unknown Nurses' Home Launceston Tasmania Australia Did not marry No children

Susan Zealandria Ayton, a nurse, was born in New Zealand in 1865, the third of ten children of William Pooley Ayton (1831-1885), agent, and Susan Ann Connor (1840-1928) who married in Hobart on 15 Feb 1860. William was born in London while Susan Ann was from Hobart. Their first two daughters were born in Tasmania, then they went to New Zealand for a short time, where Susan was born and given her unusual middle name of Zealandria. The family returned to Hobart for about ten years. However, their last two children, Minna, 1876 and Raymond, 1881, were born in Launceston. They went back to Hobart where W P Ayton died in Oct 1885.

Susan Zealandria returned to Launceston to train as a nurse at the Launceston General Hospital from 2 Aug 1889 until 1 Jun 1892. This allowed her to attend the Tasmanian Exhibition of 1891-92 along with a group of other nurses. After her training was completed, Susan went to Bendigo, Victoria, before going back to Hobart to take up private nursing. She lived with her mother and unmarried sisters Amy and Myra (a teacher) in various houses in the North Hobart area. Susan died aged 80 on 18 Jul 1945 and was buried at the Cornelian Bay Cemetery.

Her future brother-in-law Richard Charles Field is also pictured in the Launceston Family Album. He married Susan's younger sister Lilian in Feb 1892.

Marion Sargent Jul 2011