Sara Mackay

Meeting Room 1 (Sara Mackay)

Sara Mackay

Sara Mackay was a medical missionary, nurse at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and wife of Reverend John H Mackay, minister at St John's Church in Ballarat, Victoria. 

She followed her husband to serve as the second Australian missionary to be sent to Korea in 1891. She was among the first few missionary women from Australia during a patriarchal period.

In January 1892, Mackay became seriously ill while pregnant and within a few months of arriving in Korea, passed away at the age of 33 as the first female missionary.

Initially buried in Busan next to Rev. J H Davies, her grave was lost during the wars. A new tombstone was erected at Masan Memorial Park on the 120 years anniversary in 2009 alongside 7 other missionaries who died on Korean land.