Portrait of Eliza Davies (nee Arbuckle) from her autobiography, The story of an earnest life : a woman's adventures in Australia and in two voyages around the world.

She describes her arrival in South Australia with Captain Sturt aboard the John Pirie in 1839, her marriage and experience as a victim of domestic violence in South Australia between 1840 and 1842, before escaping to New South Wales with the assistance of supporters. Following physical abuse by her husband, William Davies, she describes the predicament of women of the period who, because of property and marriage laws, were unable to escape abusive relationships. 'I thought in my terror, that if I had a place to flee to for safety, that I should never set foot in that dwelling again .... but alas! What could I do? Where could I flee?'