She was born in Auckland, New Zealand on 29 March 1866, the daughter of Sarah Jane Mattocks and Thomas Kirk, a surveyor who went on to be an early Professor at Victoria University College (now the Victoria University of Wellington). She received her education at Greenwood sisters' Terrace School, and in turn taught English to Chinese immigrants, and taught factory workers how to read. Despite never travelling overseas, she was fluent in German and French. She was an avid reader.
She died on 19 July 1921 and was buried in Karori Cemetery.
