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Annie SMITH, daughter of Robert SMYTH ( - ) and Margaret UNKNOWN ( - ), was born in Mar 1863 in Londonderry, Ireland. She was a Nursing Sister. She married Walter Alexander MACDONALD on 26 Jun 1894 in St. Colomb's Cathedral, Londonderry, Ireland.¹ Charles /Boyton/, Married in Cathedral, Church of Ireland, Marriage certificate extract, Parish of Templemore, County Derry on , 1/4/82 Residence at time of marriage 14 London St., Derry. Annie died on 14 Apr 1946 in Balmain Hospital, Sydney. Congestive cardiac failure, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, Death regn. 7804/343 Late of 40 Edwin St., Drummoyne, Buried 16 April 1946 at Presbyterian cemetery, Rookwood, by Methodist Minister. Annie was buried on 16 Apr 1946 in Presbyterian cemetery, Rookwood, Section 5C, grave 9436.² Buried 16 April 1946 at Presbyterian cemetery, Rookwood, by Methodist , Minister.

Annie was born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. According to the Derry Journal she was the youngest Daughter of the late Robert Smith. She had a Scottish accent according to Ken Knight. She married husband Walter in 1894 (her address given as 14 London Street) in Londonderry and they moved to Glasgow where their 2 children were born.They moved to Australia sometime after 1901. In 1903 they lived at Marrickville in Sydney. He was listed as an engineer and she as domestic duties. By 1913 they had moved to Drummoyne, and then to Glassop Street Balmain before Walter died in 1915. He had been a ship's engineer and would have been away from home some time while their children were growing up. Her interests were Music and gardening. According to Grandson Billy's eulogy she was "a broad speaking Scottish lady who did not tolerate frivolity". By 1917 she was listed as living alone at 19 Renwick St., Drummoyne.

In 1925 her daughter Rita died and she took over care of the 2 children Billy and Donald at Foucart St., Rozelle. Annie was then a nurse looking after some old people, and came to care for them at Foucart St. They then moved (by horse and cart!) to Thompson St., Drummoyne.Then to Broughton St.,Drummoyne where "they had a garden in the Depression." Then to Edwin St., Drummoyne.

Her Death Certificate indicates that she was "late of 40 Edwin St., Drummoyne". This was where her son Walter was living as well. And this was the address that Don returned to in 1946 after his naval demobilisation.

Annie visited her daughter Rita's grave every Sunday, and took her grandson Donald with her when he was a boy, according to Don, as related by Ken Knight in a "Knight family conversation in 1997^3,4,5,6.

Walter Alexander MACDONALD, son of Alexander Simpson MACDONALD (1829-1865) and Eliza Jane PHILLIPS (c. 1835-1879), was born on 21 Jan 1859 in Calcutta, India.⁷ Calcutta given as birthplace in death certificate. Also gave d.o.b. as 1859 in 1881 & 1891 censuses. Walter was baptised on 4 Jun 1859 in Rangoon, Burma.^{8 7} He was a Chief marine engineer.^{9 10} He was Presbyterian. He died on 11 Aug 1915 in Balmain Hospital. Mitral regurgitation, cardiac failure, Late of 3 Glossop St., Balmain Sth.Death regn. no. 9411/077 , issued27/8/81, Buried 13/8/1915, Presbyterian cemetery, Rookwood. Walter was buried on 13 Aug 1915 in Presbyterian cemetery, Rookwood, Presbyterian section 5C grave 9436.^{2 11} Buried 13/8/1915, Presbyterian cemetery, Rookwood.

After being born in Calcutta and christened in Rangoon, the next we hear of Walter was that in 1871, age 11, he was at school and living in Forres, a small town near Inverness, Scotland, in a house with his mother, an annuitant. In July 1871 he was mentioned in the 'Forres Elgin and Nairn Gazette' as having received a prize in 5th Class Latin and 5th Class Writing at the Forres Academy. The school was a well regarded burgh school overseen by a rector an other teachers with 146 attending boys and girls "for the most part sons and daughters of bankers,farmers, shopkeepers, tradesmen and labourers of the more comfotable class" according to the Education Commissioners' Report on the Forres Academy reported in the above newspaper in 1868 and further in 1871. The average leaving age was 13 or 14. Walter's father had died in Burma in 1865.

In 1879, aged 20 he was noted as the informant for his mother's death at Inverness.

By 1881 at time of the UK census he was listed aboard S.S. Copeland at Plymouth St. Andrew, Devon, England as 2nd. Engineer, one of 14 crew, mainly Scots. It was an iron steamship for general cargo and passengers (shipwrecked in 1888).

Two years later in 1891 he was living in Glasgow, North Wallace St. boarding with the Sutherland family as an 'employed Marine Engineer'.

His residence at time of his marriage to Annie Smith in Londonderry in 1894 was 55 Main St., Glasgow. By 1894 he was the Chief Engineer of the "SS Olive" travelling between Ireland, England and France. (sunk in 1900).

The 1901 Census finds Walter, Annie and their 2 children, Margaret and Walter, living in Glasgow at Newlands Terrace, Kilmarnock Road. The census was taken on April 3rd. 1901, so their emigration to Australia was after that date. According to his death certificate he came to NSW in 1901, age 41. However the Unassisted passenger lists reports him as coming as crew, First Engineer, on the Ship "Ramornie" from Glasgow in 1902. This was a new steamer built for the North Coast Steam Navigation Company. Perhaps his wife and children travelled on the same ship as it was a combined passenger and cargo ship.

ELectoral rolls 1903 have their residence at Marrickville, Durham St., Walter an engineer, and Annie, Domestic duties.

By 1913 the Electoral rolls list him and Annie at 19 Renwick St., Drummoyne, he listed as an engineer, she as home duties. Sands Directory 1913 corresponds with this.

Walter's newspaper death notice states "late engineer of the N.C. Steam Navigation Company". He worked on the "North Coast Run" on steamships carrying cargo from Sydney as far as Queensland and all ports in between. It was a notoriously dangerous run with many ships foundering in heavy conditions. He was, at the end of his career the most Senior engineer of the company according to Don Knight.

The death certificate states "late of 3 Glassop St., Balmain South". And Sands 1915 Directory has him at that address. He died intestate, estate valued at 153 pounds.^{4,9,10,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24}

Walter Alexander MACDONALD and Annie SMITH had the following children: