Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Julia Lehane was born about 1844 in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland – the daughter of John Lehane and Emma Amelia Trenwith.
Her mother re-married in 1850 to Attiwell Hayes and the family emigrated to Victoria, Australia in the early 1850’s.
In 1860 they sailed for Otago on the “Dunedin” where Julia married John MacFarlane, a teacher, on 29 August 1871.
They had seven children, one who died in infancy.
In 1880 her mother was murdered by her step father who then committed suicide.
When Julia signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Opoho Rd, North East Valley.
Julia died at her home on 10 June 1896 and John died in Oamaru in 1909 – they are buried in the family grave in the Northern Cemetery.
Sources:
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/