Matilda Furley

In either 1840 or 1841 the Furleys arrived in Auckland. They first lived on Princes Street, Auckland, and later at Mechanics Bay. During this time the Furleys had a general store on Queen Street. In 1844 the Furleys sold the store and moved to Onehunga. Matilda bartered with Māori for pigs and other produce. From this she became a butcher for the small town. Matilda was active in the Onehunga community and was a member of St Peter's Church, the local Anglican church.^[1]

In 1847 Onehunga experienced growth following the fencible settlement of Onehunga. This led to the Furleys expanding their business on Princes Street, Onehunga. In 1854 they sold the business and Matilda opened a bakery and confectionery on Queen Street, Onehunga. Matilda continued to run the bakery until the 1890s. In 1877 Matilda relied on her experience in the wool mills back in England to resolve an issue with the machines for the Onehunga Woollen Mills.^[1]

In May 1863, many women and children arrived in Onehunga as refugees following fears of attacks by Māori on European settlements. These refugees lived in substandard conditions in barracks. Their conditions spurred the founding of the Onehunga Ladies' Benevolent Society, of which Matilda was a founding member.^[1]

Matilda died on 22 October 1899. She was buried at the cemetery of St Peter's next to her husband.^[1]

Furley Place, a service lane in Onehunga, is named after Matilda.^[2]