Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Eliza Smith, also known as Lillie or Lila, was born on July 27th 1863 in Woking Surrey, England, the daughter of David Smith, a nursery labourer, and Jane Searle.
She emigrated to Otago in 1878 on the Piako with her sister Jane.
She married John Henry Johnstone on November 8th 1883 at Knox Church, Dunedin. They had 5 children.
When Eliza signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Carnarvon St, Belleknowes, Dunedin, and John was working as a letter carrier.
John died in 1909 and Eliza died at her home on December 27th 1925. They are buried together in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.
Sources
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions