Florence Louisa Kilfoy

Florence Louisa Kilfoy arrived in New Zealand as a baby with her parents Pamela and Edwin Kirk on 25 October 1872. The family settled in Wellington and Florence attended first, Mt Cook School, then from 1882, Te Aro School. When she left school at the end of 1885 with the recitation prize, she became a saleswoman. On 10 January 1893 she married Joseph Kilfoy in Waverley and the couple lived in Te Aro in the house of Ellen McCallum (see 413 Ellen McCallum). Later that year Florence signed the Petition in her new married name along with her mother, Pamela Kirk (313 Pamela Kirk), her mother-in-law Rosetta Kilfoy (330 Rosetta Kilfoy) and her sister-in-law Annie Kirk (see 307 Annie Kirk). Florence’s daughter was born in October that same year.

About 1901 Joseph opened a shop at 87 Tory Street, and Florence worked in the shop. In 1904 she bought the first of her houses in Te Aro (all properties were bought in her sole name).  In 1905 she was one of three women (out of 42 witnesses) to appear before the Labour Bills Committee of Legislative Council on the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill. Florence’s evidence makes it clear she wanted to get on in business. In 1905 she bought another property in Te Aro and started building the first of her cottages in Lyall Bay. 

Florence’s son was born in 1911 and in 1912 the Kilfoys moved to one of Florence’s properties in Lyall Bay. The following year Florence took over management of the Lyall Bay Kiosk and Accommodation House on Lyall Bay Parade and advertised assiduously until March 1915. In 1916 she bought another property in Lyall Bay, giving her another cottage to let.

Florence died on 3 July 1923 at the age of 51.

Sources

BDM online https://bdmonline.dia.govt.nz/

Journals and Appendix to the Journals of the Legislative Council of New Zealand

Land Information New Zealand https://www.linz.govt.nz/

Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/

Wellington City Council archives https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/

Wise’s Directories