Eliza Golden

Bernadette Posted: 19 Apr 2018

Eliza GOLDEN was born in 1839, the daughter of Robert and Mary ELSOM who farmed in Walsoken, Norfolk, England. When she was 15 years old she emigrated to Victoria, Australia
with her mother Mary and elder sister Alice. In 1863 she married William GOLDEN. The couple arrived in New Zealand from Melbourne in 1864 on the ‘Swiftsure’ as part of the one thousand military settlers on board enrolled by Colonel Pitt.
Between 1865 and 1880, six children were born to Eliza and William; Eliza, May Alice, Emily Alsum, Sarah Ellen, Anne Adelaide, William Robert. The last child and only son was born when the family was living in Helensville, a small town north-west of Auckland on the Kaipara River. The house in Kowhai Street where the family lived for about 20 years is still standing.
William Golden died, away from home in 1884. The Public Trust reported that his estate was under one pound. So Eliza was left to support herself and the children still at home. In 1896 and 1900 the electoral rolls record Eliza Golden, at Helensville, stewardess. She worked as a stewardess on the early passenger steamers sailing between Helensville and Dargaville. The electoral rolls after 1905 have Eliza living in Devonport with spinster daughter Anne Amelia and son William a sailor.
Eliza remained in Devonport until she died 8 March 1913 aged 74 years. She is buried at O’Neill’s Point Cemetery.

SOURCES:
ARRIVAL OF THE SWIFTSURE, FROM MELBOURNE. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS, VOLUME XX, ISSUE 2064, 1 MARCH 1864
Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981 [database on-line].
https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search
Ancestry.com. New Zealand, The New Zealand Gazette, 1860-1894 [database on-line].

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