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The Gilfillan farm at Matarawa
Matarawa, the Gilfillan family farm, c. 1845. John Alexander Gilfillan was an artist of some ability and his work provides a useful insight into Wanganui's colonial history.
Gilfillan, his wife, Mary, and their six children settled in Wanganui in late 1842. They secured an allotment of 110 acres in the Matarawa Valley near Wanganui and moved onto their farm near the end of 1845.
On the evening of 18 April 1847 a party of six young upriver Maori attacked the Gilfillan farm. Mary Gilfillan and three children were killed in this attack and another daughter was badly wounded.
According to the missionary Richard Taylor, one of the Maori involved in the attack later confessed that the Gilfillans had not been the original target. Their isolation had made them easy prey.
Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: C-018-004
Artist: John Alexander Gilfillan (1793-1864)
Further information and copies of this image may be obtained from the
Library through its 'Timeframes' website,
http://timeframes.natlib.govt.nz
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New
Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any
re-use of this image
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YahooHow to cite this page: 'The Gilfillan farm at Matarawa', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/gilfillan-farm-matarawa, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 28-Aug-2009
Johan Alexander Gilfillan was the brother of my great,great grandfather Adam Gilfillan, and another brother William Frederick Anderson Gilfillan. Adam and William came to South Africa as 1820 Settlers, and John Alexander went and settled in NZ during 1841 in the Matarawa valley. After the murder by Maoris of John`s wife Mary and three of their children, John and the remaining two children emmigrated to Australia.
The daughter, Sarah ,that survived the attack, wrote a report of the murders, and send it to her uncles in South Africa, of which the original is still in the our possesion.
Johan Alexander Gilfillan died in his house at Collingwood cottage, Glasgow street, Melborne on 11 February 1864.
Thank you for the opportunity to a small piece of information of my ancestors.
Johan Gilfillan.
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