1877 – 1962

Pianist, organist, singer and church worker for the Congregational Church in Milton

Elsie Miller née Allan was born in 1877 to John and Sarah Allan in Majors Creek NSW, near Braidwood. In late 1884, when she was six, the family moved to Milton.

By the time she was 16, Elsie was already very involved with the Congregational Church in Milton. She was an accomplished pianist and singer and by early 1896 she was performing in fund-raising concerts, such as the ‘Grand Musical Entertainment’ held in the Milton School of Arts in aid of the Milton Junior Cricket Club.

Her dedicated work with the church youth and temperance group the ‘Band of Hope’ won her the respect of those within the church and the town generally.

As she had excelled at school and enjoyed being with young children, Elsie decided to become a teacher and began as a pupil teacher at Milton Public School in 1895, gaining a permanent position in December 1895. However, her teaching career was cut short when her father moved the Allan family to Moruya in late 1896.

In early 1900 Elsie Allan married John Norman Miller (known as Norman) and went to live at ‘Washburton’, (between Milton and Ulladulla, now occupied by Cupitt’s Winery). She had no doubt met Norman through the church, as his very devout parents John and Lucy Miller had helped found the Milton Congregational Church in 1872. Elsie raised five children at ‘Washburton’ until the family moved to ‘Narrawilly’ in 1919, renting and then buying the property from Norman’s older brother Robert.

Through the following decades Elsie continued her work with the Milton Congregational Church, playing the organ, running church groups, teaching Sunday School and organising fund raisers. She was especially active with the ‘Band of Hope’, a children’s church club where she encouraged the children in music and performance as well as their bible studies.

By the time Elsie died in 1962, she had been faithfully serving her church for more than 60 years.

Many thanks to Miriam Miller for her information about Elsie Miller