Salmond, Sarah (1864–1956)

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Salmond, Sarah (1864–1956)

New Zealand governess and astronomer. Name variations: Sarah Cockburn. Born Sarah Cockburn, Aug 7, 1864, in Berwickshire, Scotland; died Oct 18, 1956, in Dunedin, New Zealand; dau. of John Cockburn (farm worker) and Elizabeth (Liddle) Cockburn; m. John Salmond (carpenter), 1886 (died 1940); children: 8.

Immigrated with family to New Zealand (1873); settled in remote wilderness of Rees valley by Lake Wakatipu, to keep house for her brothers, and was first woman to live there (c. 1879); developed profound interest in astronomy and later lobbied for and dedicated local monument to mark gathering of scientists at Queenstown to observe Venus travel between Sun and Earth (1874).

See also Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (Vol. 2).