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Photos of the Kirby Family. ca.1914.
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DescriptionMy connection to the West Coast is through the Kirby family on my grandmother's side and Waiuta on my grandfather's side (my grandfather was a miner and my grandparents met at Waiuta). My father (Michael Anderson) passed away last year and I have been looking through some of his photos and have found a few that may be of interest to contributors on this page. Unfortunately most of the photos are undated, or questionably dated by my father in recent years. There are only some names attached to the photos also. I am interested in any information you may like to add or suggest. Here are two to start the ball rolling...
First photo: Ellen Kirby (3 years) and Grace Kirby (18 months) 1914 (?), Blackwater.
Second photo: Kirby children at Hari Hari - Grace, Edna, Eddie, (?).Date of Photoca.1914Map[1] ContributorRobyn Anderson
First photo: Ellen Kirby (3 years) and Grace Kirby (18 months) 1914 (?), Blackwater.
Second photo: Kirby children at Hari Hari - Grace, Edna, Eddie, (?).Date of Photoca.1914Map[1] ContributorRobyn Anderson
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Location (city or town)BlackwaterHarihariPersonMichael AndersonEdna KirbyEddie KirbyGrace Kirby Ellen Kirby
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CommentsMargaret Wright
Hi Robyn, were Clara Elizabeth and Ernest Arthur their parents if so I found some more children for this couple Ellen Elizabeth born 1913, Grace Eileen no birthdate, Edward Alfred 1909 who died at 3 weeks 1909 then there was another child but no name registered 1910 Edna Clare 1914 Edward Valatine born 1918 and the last was Patrick Vincent 1919 Clara Elizabeth O'Donnell married Ernest Arthur Kirby 1909, hope this is a help.
Allan Archer
Margaret Wright , looks like there could be a connection above with the Valentine name passed on ?
Allan Archer
Hi Robyn, An Edward Valentine Kirby was a storekeeper 150 years ago at Blacks Point , the township was even referred to as Kirby's Point before the current name. He had ten children , one son called Edward who was about 7 years old in 1871 and almost drowned, reported in the papers
Peter Armstrong
I have an Ernest Albert and a Clara Kirby at HariHari in about 1915. He made an application to run an accommodation house (HariHari Hotel) 0n the 5th of May 1915. At the time he was a butcher at Blackwater. Clara's mother was an Ann O"Donell Died 7th May 1934, look's like she ran a store in Woodstock and then Hotels at Blackwater and Waiuta. I see Margaret there was an Edward Valentine born 1918 as back in 1872 a man by the same name , described as a Accommodation House Keeper of Black's Point declared himself bankrupt, maybe Ernest Albert's father or an uncle.Diane Chesmar
Does anyone know if there Is a connection with the Kirby family and the Diedrich family
Margi Adamson
Helen Hutchison
Eddie Kirby was a Road Service driver in 1950s in Harihari .!!
Stacey Rochford
Sheldon Kirby can you shed some light?
Sheldon Kirby
The fourth child and eldest brother maybe Ernest Arthur Kirby who is buried in the same grave as his father also Ernest Arthur Kirby and mother in the hokitika cemetery. My grandfather and their sibling Patrick Kirby was born in 1919. I have a full fam… See More
Robyn Anderson
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Sheldon Kirby Hi there Sheldon. My father and grandmother are now at Hokitika cemetery also. I will visit again later this year and look more closely at the family connections. Very interesting, thanks.
Robyn Anderson
Sheldon...so Patrick is your grandfather? My father talked about him often.
Stuart Chapman
John Chapman, any names familiar?
Joyce Fuller
I worked at the Road Service in Hokitika in 1949 and remember Eddie Kirby well he was a big man and very well liked around the town would give U the shirt off his back always ready to lend a hand when asked remember his big smile
Robyn Anderson
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Don’t you think that even as a little kid he looks like he’d be that kind of adult?
Robin Spillane
knew Eddie well when we lived in Hari Hari 1 big happy family back then.
Shona Ratana
looks like happy healthy children here?
Doreen Thomson
Eddie Kirby was a Road Service Frieght driver at Fox Glacier in the 50,s he was a very well liked man His wife's name was Audrey and I used to play with their children as we for a period we lived near them (my maiden name Wilson if that helps)
Hi Robyn, were Clara Elizabeth and Ernest Arthur their parents if so I found some more children for this couple Ellen Elizabeth born 1913, Grace Eileen no birthdate, Edward Alfred 1909 who died at 3 weeks 1909 then there was another child but no name registered 1910 Edna Clare 1914 Edward Valatine born 1918 and the last was Patrick Vincent 1919 Clara Elizabeth O'Donnell married Ernest Arthur Kirby 1909, hope this is a help.
Allan Archer
Margaret Wright , looks like there could be a connection above with the Valentine name passed on ?
Allan Archer
Hi Robyn, An Edward Valentine Kirby was a storekeeper 150 years ago at Blacks Point , the township was even referred to as Kirby's Point before the current name. He had ten children , one son called Edward who was about 7 years old in 1871 and almost drowned, reported in the papers
Peter Armstrong
I have an Ernest Albert and a Clara Kirby at HariHari in about 1915. He made an application to run an accommodation house (HariHari Hotel) 0n the 5th of May 1915. At the time he was a butcher at Blackwater. Clara's mother was an Ann O"Donell Died 7th May 1934, look's like she ran a store in Woodstock and then Hotels at Blackwater and Waiuta. I see Margaret there was an Edward Valentine born 1918 as back in 1872 a man by the same name , described as a Accommodation House Keeper of Black's Point declared himself bankrupt, maybe Ernest Albert's father or an uncle.Diane Chesmar
Does anyone know if there Is a connection with the Kirby family and the Diedrich family
Margi Adamson
Helen Hutchison
Eddie Kirby was a Road Service driver in 1950s in Harihari .!!
Stacey Rochford
Sheldon Kirby can you shed some light?
Sheldon Kirby
The fourth child and eldest brother maybe Ernest Arthur Kirby who is buried in the same grave as his father also Ernest Arthur Kirby and mother in the hokitika cemetery. My grandfather and their sibling Patrick Kirby was born in 1919. I have a full fam… See More
Robyn Anderson
badge icon
Sheldon Kirby Hi there Sheldon. My father and grandmother are now at Hokitika cemetery also. I will visit again later this year and look more closely at the family connections. Very interesting, thanks.
Robyn Anderson
Sheldon...so Patrick is your grandfather? My father talked about him often.
Stuart Chapman
John Chapman, any names familiar?
Joyce Fuller
I worked at the Road Service in Hokitika in 1949 and remember Eddie Kirby well he was a big man and very well liked around the town would give U the shirt off his back always ready to lend a hand when asked remember his big smile
Robyn Anderson
badge icon
Don’t you think that even as a little kid he looks like he’d be that kind of adult?
Robin Spillane
knew Eddie well when we lived in Hari Hari 1 big happy family back then.
Shona Ratana
looks like happy healthy children here?
Doreen Thomson
Eddie Kirby was a Road Service Frieght driver at Fox Glacier in the 50,s he was a very well liked man His wife's name was Audrey and I used to play with their children as we for a period we lived near them (my maiden name Wilson if that helps)
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West Coast New Zealand History (12th Jan 2021). Photos of the Kirby Family. ca.1914.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 12th Apr 2026 06:34, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28868




