She was the daughter of John Harris, an English-born ex-convict who had been sentenced to death for stealing eight silver spoons but was ultimately transported to Australia on the First Fleet.

Her father set sail for England in 1801 and left Elizabeth and her sister Hannah in the care of James Larra, a prominent Sydney merchant and ex-convict, and his wife Susannah.

[5] After Joseph's death in 1833, the family began to encounter financial difficulties and considered subdividing their large estate.

Cannily, Elizabeth advertised the sale as the formation of the village of Ashfield and paid for the construction of the Anglican Church herself.

Many streets in northern Ashfield bear the names of her children including Frederick, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Julia and Joseph.