Mary Ann Matilda Payne
Name Mary Ann Matilda Payne, female, called Polly
Birth Details Date & Place 1862, Merri Creek, Victoria, Australia
Baptism  
Father Charles Payne, born 1822, Axbridge, Somerset, England
Mother Mary Ann Palmer, born about 1822, East Brent, Somerset, England
Death Details Date & Place 9 June 1955, 66 Campbell Street, Ainslie, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Burial Jun 1955, Woden Cemetery, Phillip, ACT, Australia
Cause of Death  
Age at Death 93 years
Marriage Details Date & Place 3 December 1879, Chiltern, Victoria, Australia (aged 17)
Spouse Matthew Matthias McGann, born 7 April 1854, Sydney, Australia
Children
  1. John McGann, 1880, Bethanga, Victoria, Australia
  2. Matthew McGann, 1882, Gran., Victoria, Australia
  3. Ellen May McGann, 12 Jun 1885, Chiltern, Victoria, Australia
  4. Matilda Maud McGann, 1887, Chiltern, Victoria, Australia
  5. Charles Sydney McGann, 1890, Chiltern, Victoria, Australia
  6. William Ernest McGann, 1892, Chiltern, Victoria
  7. Lillian May McGann, 1894, Chiltern, Victoria
  8. Mary Irene McGann, 1897, Chiltern, Victoria
  9. Sylvester George McGann, 1900, Chiltern, Victoria
  10. Isadore Joseph McGann, 1903, Chiltern, Victoria
Occupation  
Residence
  1. 1862, Merri Creek, near Woodstock, Victoria, Australia
  2. 1862-1878 Alexandra, Victoria then
  3. 1879-1903 Chiltern, Victoria then
  4. at least 1945-1955 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Religion Protestant, married in Roman Catholic Church as groom was Irish Catholic. This means Polly must have taken instruction and promised to bring up the children as Catholics -- given the attitude of the Catholic Church to Protestants at the time
Notes

Mary Ann Matilda (Polly) was presented to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Canberra in 1954 when she opened the Australian Parliament. Polly was the oldest Canberran at the time.

Margaret Gentle (of Western Australia) was working in Canberra during the last years of Polly's life and they met regularly, mostly on Saturday mornings, to make artificial flowers. Polly was at this time in her 90s.

Sources
  1. Victoria Birth Entry, 1862/17922
  2. Victorian marriage certificate, 1879/4348