Originally transcribed as Ella Drack
Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Helen/Ellen Thom Wright was born on 13 May 1865 in Glasgow, Scotland – the daughter of John Thom Wright, a music teacher, and Mary Boyd.
Ellen emigrated to Otago with her family in 1879 on the Forfarshire. Her mother died on Quarantine Island shortly after arrival due to the premature birth of a stillborn child and the effects of gastritis – she is buried in the Quarantine Island Cemetery.
Ellen married James Diack on 11 November 1891 at Springburn in South Canterbury and they had six children.
Ellen signed the suffrage petition in Mataura – the family lived in Waikiwi and Ashburton before retiring to Christchurch.
Ellen died on 16 May 1942 and James died the following year – they are buried together in the Sydenham Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/