seamstress, was born in Bristol, daughter of Mr and Mrs Splain. She married Samuel Edward Withers at London in 1841. When their first child, a girl, was only fifteen months old, they sold their manchester shop and embarked for Victoria, arriving at Melbourne in 1851. A son, Samuel Edward junior, was born that year. The family then travelled to the newly-discovered Sandhurst (Bendigo) gold diggings; Mrs Withers is said to have been the first woman on the fields. They were at Ballarat during the 1853-54 rush which culminated in the great diggers’ uprising. With the help of Anne Duke, another miner’s wife, and possibly Anastasia Hayes, wife of Peter Lalor’s mining mate Timothy Hayes, Anastasia Withers sewed the Southern Cross flag which flew over the Eureka Stockade throughout the famous battle.
After the miners were defeated, it was rumoured that the authorities were looking for Anastasia as one of the makers of the rebel flag. The family fled to Ararat, then to Moyston where Samuel set up an orchard which they called Bristol Orchard after Anastasia’s birth-place. Later, at Horsham, they opened a fruit shop which was run by several of their nine children. Anastasia Withers died in 1889, aged sixty-four, predeceased by Samuel in 1883, who died at the same age. Both are buried at Moyston.
- Writers:
- Kerr, Joan
Note: secondary
- Date written:
- 1995
- Last updated:
- 2011
