Ellen Clacy

Biography

Little biographical information is available about Ellen Louise Clacy (née Von Sturmer).

The information that is available indicates that her life was less “proper” than it appeared in her most well-known work.

Born in 1830 in Richmond, Surrey, England, one of 5 children of clergyman Frederick Sturmer and Mary Norris.

In 1852 she travelled to Australia with her eldest brother to seek their fortunes on the goldfields of Victoria.

Clacy returned to England by ship without her brother a couple of months after arriving in Melbourne, and gave birth to her daughter, also called Ellen Louise Clacy, on board ship during the return journey.

After her return from Australia, Clacy began writing under the pseudonym "Cycla".

In 1854, she married Charles Berry Clacy, a merchant's clerk and mining engineer.

There seems to be some indication that she was abandoned by her husband, and she was said to support herself by writing articles for newspapers.

Ellen Clacy died in London in 1901.

Publications

A Lady's Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852–1853 (1853)

Lights and Shadows of Australian Life (1854)

Passing Clouds (1858)

Warfare and work : or, Life's progress (1859)

Aunt Dorothy's Will (1860)