Thanks for that link, anonymous Guest, a most useful resource (once I'd found the Maori/ English selector). Bookmarked.

Papers Past- an archive of old New Zealand newspapers

The source (an 1887 nostalgic reminiscence of the old days of sea- shanties) names the lady as Elinor Ford, not any of the possible variants (Eleanor, Helena etc.). Which doesn't make the search any easier as Google insists I really want to search for someone else. Are there any standard reference books about famous actresses, courtesans and the wives of the famous, for those times before the advent of the supermodel and sleb?