Biography

Lilian was the eleventh and youngest child of Agnes Louisa Carney and Thomas Ireland. Lily was born on 7 August 1884 in Dunedin. She was admitted to the Union St School on the 20 August 1890 and left having attained Standard 5. She first appears on the 1905-08 City of Dunedin Electoral Roll as a spinster; she was then living at the family home in Union Street. From 1908 to 1911 she lived at 596 Castle Street.

Her first employment appears to have been as a “costumière”, according to the 1912-1913 Wise’s Directory which gave her address as 189 George Street. Stone’s Directory shows that Lily was from 1921 to 1938 the postmistress at Colac Bay, where she lived with Elizabeth Lloyd Ogren. From 1940-47 she stayed on at Colac Bay with Elizabeth Ogren, who took over as postmistress until her retirement in 1954. By then Lily had already retired to 596 Castle Street, confined to a wheelchair with arthritis. She was a painter.

Lily died on 21 April 1958 in Dunedin and was buried with her family. In her will, she left the property she had inherited at 596 Castle Street to Elizabeth Ogren, who died in 1964 in Invercargill at the age of 78.

Others buried here: Lilian’s parents Thomas and Agnes Louisa Ireland, and her siblings Agnes Louisa, Isabella, Jessie and Thomas.