CHALLENGER, Sophia

Name – CHALLENGER, Sophia
Born – 1862
Died – 2/03/1939
Location – No 19 Methodist Section
Mother – Caroline Wood
Father – Thomas Achland

Notes – Sophia was born in Wellington, England in early 1862 and was the daughter of Caroline (nee Wood) and Thomas Achland. She had three brothers, Stephen, Frederick and Walter. The 1881 England Census has Sophia living with parents and her occupation is pupil teacher aged 19 at Wellington.

In 1896 she married Samuel Challenger and is once more found on the 1901 roll in Surrey with Samuel Snr listed as a schoolmaster, and Sophia is a school mistress with a 4yr old Effie and 2 yr old Samuel. By 1912 the family has decided to leave England and move to Australia. Their ship, the Demosthenes which was part of the Aberdeen Shipping Line, departed England for Australia on 26th June 1912. Upon arrival they disembarked in Melbourne before travelling to Brisbane.

The couple and their two children, Effie aged 15 and Samuel Jr. aged 13 travelled with them. Two years after their arrival in Queensland, the family was recorded as farming in the Tara district. Rolls from 1915 have them at The Gums, Tara, Samuel Snr. Farmer and Sophia Home duties and again in 1936 The Gums, Tara Samuel Snr School master at Tara and Samuel Jnr as a Dairyman. There is mention of a Gladys Myrtle Challenger living with them, unfortunately no further information on her is available at this time.

Sophia has a headstone on her grave and the inscription reads, Sacred to the memory of Sophia Challenger. For 43 years the beloved wife of S.H. Challenger who departed this life on 2nd March, 1939 aged 76.

Newspaper Article – Death

War Service File  –

Learn more about the Tara Cemetery here.