Very little is known of Rachel. It is believed she was well educated and enjoyed writing poetry.

The information concerning Rachel is quite confusing. Birth registration records state a female child was born to Henry Collier and Elizabeth Smith at Hobart on the 25 August 1850. This can only be Rachel.

Tasmanian Pioneers data Base has Rachael Collier Smith as a child of Henry Smith and Elizabeth, (Unknown surname).
If Elizabeth (Unknown surname) took up with Collier after Henry Smith then how is it that Rachel is recorded as Rachel Collier Smith. Could this be because Collier and Smith (Unknown surname) never married.

Rachael's mother (Elizabeth (Unknown surname)) was aboriginal.

Baptismal records show that Rachel Elizabeth Smith (Collier) was born on 25 August 1850 at Town Huon and baptized at Hobart Town on 16 October 1850. Her parents were described as Henry Smith, Mariner,and Elizabeth (Unknown surname).

There are no archival records of her marriage to George James Price.

Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Independent Indigenous Advisory Committee findings 18 October 2002.

The Tribunal is satisfied that the oral histories which have come from three separate sources in this case, namely, Mr. Priest, Mr. Brown and Mr. Patmore, each of whom identify a different granddaughter of Rachel Collier as being aboriginal, is so persuasive that it would be difficult not to find that Rachel Collier was an aboriginal. When it is also considered that Rachel Collier was baptized with a surname different to her parents it is possible to deduce that under the circumstances which existed in Tasmania in 1850, Rachel was an aboriginal baby who was 'adopted' by Mr. and Mrs. Smith.