Laura E. Johnson

Surname:

Johnson

Given names:

Laura E.

Given address:

Garden Terrace, Walker Street

Sheet No: 29

Town/Suburb:

North Dunedin

City/Region:

Dunedin

Notes:

Originally transcribed as Laura H Johnston. Also signed as 90 Laura E Johnston

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Laura Elizabeth Kingston was born in 1863 in New Zealand – the daughter of George Lewis Kingston, a sailmaker, and Catherine Meloy. (See 29 Mrs Kingston)

Laura worked as a school teacher from 1881 until her marriage in 1889.

She married John Andrew Johnson, also a teacher, on 23 December 1889 in Dunedin – when Laura signed the suffrage petition they were living with her mother in Garden Terrace, Upper Walker St.

Laura and John had four children - they moved to Timaru in 1896 and stayed there for about 10 years before they moved to Tasmania where John was appointed as the first Principal of the Hobart Teachers Training College.

Before their departure the Timaru Tennis Club assembled at the pavilion – 'Mrs Johnson, though for so many years identified with the Ladies’ Committee, had not been such an active player at tennis as at golf' she was described as 'a thorough sportswoman.'

Laura died on 13 December 1919 and John died in 1933, they are buried in the Cornelian Bay Cemetery, Hobart.