Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Christina Duncan Robertson was born in 1868 in New Zealand – the daughter of Alexander Robertson, a blacksmith, and Catherine.
In 1889 Christina was appointed to the position of fourth Assistant at Tokomairiro High School – 'under her charge the singing in the School has been considerably improved.'
She was promoted to second assistant in 1892 and when Christina signed the suffrage petition she was living in Milton.
In 1895 she was appointed as mistress at Palmerston School where she worked until her marriage.
When she left the school Christina was presented with 'a silver tea and coffee service, afternoon teaspoons, sugar tongs, etc.' A number of her friends 'tendered her a farewell social in the Palmerston Town Hall.'
Christina married Thomas Joseph Griffin, also a teacher, on 22 January 1901 at her parents’ home in Dunedin.
They had three children, who all also worked as teachers, and the family lived in Motueka before settling in New Plymouth.
Thomas died at New Plymouth in 1947 and Christina died on 30 October 1969, at the age of 101.
She was cremated and her ashes buried with Thomas in the Te Henui Cemetery, New Plymouth.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
New Plymouth District Council https://www.newplymouthnz.com/