Elizabeth Stark was born at Mataura 12 February 1876 – the first “Kiwi” child born in New Zealand to James and Rosina. Elizabeth was said to have been a very placid and hard-working girl who worked for several years at the Mataura Paper Mill.
She married John McKinnel at Dunedin 5th December 1895 who at that time was working on Wantwood Station under the management of a Mr Bell.
Following her marriage to John McKinnel, they first lived in a wee cottage at Waitane for about 3 years where her husband was shepherding under a Mr Donald McDonald at Edendale and then 23 years for the Friedlander Brothers who built a 4 roomed house for them and their rapidly growing family at Waimumu. Following this period, they moved to a farm at Croydon Siding for 14 years.
The large family lived in very small houses and in very cramped conditions and it is a marvel how Elizabeth coped. It must be a tribute to her hard-working abilities and placid nature to have accepted such adversity.
They moved to Mataura about 1938 for 2 or 3 years before retiring to Gore. John died 21st June 1951 and Elizabeth moved to Dunedin to live with her eldest daughter Rosina (Rosie), Mrs Leathley.
Elizabeth celebrated her 90th birthday in 1966 and at that time 14 of her 17 children were still alive and at that time had 51 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild. In 1965 she had attended both the McKinnel Family reunion at Waikaia and the Mataura school jubilee.
Elizabeth died in Dunedin at her daughter’s residence 23 July 1966.
| Name | Year | Born | Died | Where |
| Arthur Stark | 1894 | Gore | 1904 | Gore |
| Roscena Steele | 1896 | Gore | 1980 | Dunedin |
| Violet Mary | 1898 | Gore | 1998 | Invercargill |
| John | 1899 | Hedgehope | 1900 | Gore |
| James Joseph | 1900 | Hedgehoope | 1978 | Gore |
| Robert Wilson | 1901 | Hedgehope | 1997 | Gore |
| Elizabeth Wilson | 1904 | Mataura | 1961 | Christchurch |
| Agnes | 1906 | Matuara | 1991 | Gore |
| Mary Jane | 1909 | Mataura | 1994 | Ashburton |
| Grace | 1910 | Mataura | 1992 | Gore |
| Ethel | 1912 | Mataura | 2001 | Gore |
| May Georgina | 1913 | Mataura | 2008 | Gore |
| Ivy Lorraine | 1915 | Gore | 2006 | Christchurch |
| Eva Alsace | 1915 | Gore | 2006 | Invercargill |
| Albert George Murdoch | 1916 | Gore | 2005 | Invercargill |
| Janet Jessie | 1917 | Mataura | 2005 | Timaru |
| Margaret Mavis | 1919 | Gore | 2003 | Christchurch |
Her husband pre-deceased her in 1951.
