Weekender, November 21, 2020
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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 HONOURING GISBORNE’S AMBITIOUS WOMEN LABOUR OF LOVE: Jean Johnston proudly displays Jean Johnston’s latest completed research project has resulted in the her book Ambitious Gisborne Women. Her publication looks at the role of women and the Ambitious Gisborne Women exhibition at Tairawhiti Museum and a book of organisations they worked in to increase the role of women and to beneit wider Tairawhiti society the same title. She talks to the Herald’s Wynsley Wrigley about her research, between 1875 and 1920. The book is on sale at Tairawhiti Museum. her findings, motivation and her interest in the ‘often hidden lives’ of women. PicturebyLiamClayton rominent Gisborne sufragist enthusiast Jean Johnston and husband Sievwright family photographs which country, there is this grim-looking lady Margaret Sievwright is still John recently visited the Scottish village revealed a diferent woman from the austere wearing a bonnet. Pwielding inluence in Gisborne 125 of Pencaitland where Mrs Sievwright came Margaret Sievwright images known to New “We now have lovely family photos with years after Kiwi women won the from and made contact with a distant Zealand historians and history bufs. Margaret cuddling her own daughter, there right to vote. relative David Richardson. “When you see pictures of Margaret are photos of her two step-daughters, and Academic, researcher and women’s studies Mrs Johnston was delighted to be shown Sievwright in any publication around the some of her Richardson family, her sisters Continued on page 2 34978-03 2 THE GISBORNE HERALD LEAD Agnes Scott one of the local ‘stars’ From page 2 and father.” these entities as she later become president “It was just crying out for some kind of of the National Council of Women. place to show these.” But Mrs Johnston’s research indicates this hat led to a discussion with Tairawhiti was not the case. Museum director Eloise Wallace and her here were many other Gisborne women decision to hold the Ambitious Gisborne who provided leadership in the Gisborne Women exhibition to mark the 125th Ladies Benevolent Society, the Women’s anniversary of New Zealand becoming Christian Temperance Union of Waiapu and the irst country in the world to introduce the Free Association of Women Electors. universal sufrage in 1893. Asked to compare the sufragist Mrs Johnston, the Tairawhiti Polytechnic movement in Gisborne/New Zealand to representative on the Gisborne Sufrage the class-divisive sufragette movement in Committee in 1993, was fully aware of the Britain, Mrs Johnston said the Gisborne 125th anniversary coming up fast in 2018. organisations she looked at were non- he exhibition was held from November denominational and open to all women. 9, 2018 to March 31, 2019, and featured “One advertisement in a 1893 newspaper Tairawhiti Museum images, costumes said the Free Association of Women Electors and artefacts supporting Mrs Johnston’s was for ‘all creeds, all classes, all colours’ ”. research. Mrs Johnston said one of the “stars” in the Ambitious Gisborne Women proved Gisborne movement was Agnes Scott who popular and some descendants of the described herself as one of Mrs Sievwright’s women featured came forward and provided “lieutenants”. photographs previously unknown to Mrs She was born in a Scottish poor house, Johnston. trained as a nurse and married Francis Scott, he title of both the museum exhibition a blacksmith working in the Kaiti works. and Mrs Johnston’s subsequent book, Mrs Scott was the irst Gisborne woman launched at the museum on November 8 elected to public oice becoming a Cook of this year, refers to the members of the Hospital Board member in 1925. Gisborne Women’s Political Association, who Mrs Johnston said one driving force in December 1894, were acknowledged as for her research was inding what values Ambitious Gisborne Women in newspapers and experiences these women took from throughout New Zealand. working with Mrs Sievwright to ensure he association petitioned for law changes the organisations “continued to beneit TWIN CAMPAIGN: Researcher /author Jean Johnson is pictured with displays from the showing the women were determined to have Gisborne, beneit the community and beneit Ambitious Gisborne Women exhibition held at Tairawhiti Museum from November to an equal share of citizenship after winning New Zealand”. March. The exhibition was the forerunner of her book, with the same name, which was the right to vote on 19 September 1893. hey had left a legacy. launched at the museum two weeks ago. Picture by Liam Clayton Mrs Johnston said the museum exhibition he National Council of Women still exists, was “very much a team efort”, but the intent on a national basis, if not in Gisborne, and is was never to focus just on Mrs Sievwright. widely consulted on national policies. “What about all the women who helped her he Cook County Women’s Guild was a ‘Hidden lives’ the focus in the various organisations? unique local humanitarian organisation he “hidden lives” of Gisborne lives of women. “So the exhibition became a history of how which campaigned, raised funds and women was a key focus of interest “Like myself, my students — often mature New Zealand women got the vote — Maori established child care facilities and a for Gisborne researcher Jean second-chance learners — gained conidence women and Pakeha women.” maternity hospital. T Johnston as she examined the and encouragement to undertake further Mrs Johnston started her research by he Elizabeth Townley Maternity Hospital, role of women in efecting change in academic studies leading to completing looking at prominent organisations including built in Childers Road, was opened by Prime early Tairawhiti society. She attributes degrees.” the Gisborne Ladies Benevolent Society, Minister Sir Joseph Ward in 1910. the inluence of her Scottish parents for Mrs Johnston said she often invited Beth Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Today’s Heni Materoa Children’s Trust generating her historical interests. Simpson to her classes. She wrote Margaret Waiapu and Gisborne Women’s Political is the successor to the child care facilities “hey were curious about historical and Sievwright’s proile in the 1993 Dictionary of Association (GWPA) where Mrs Sievwright established by Cook County Women’s Guild. political events and old enough to remember New Zealand Biography and “so teacher and served as president, before going on to look “Gisborne women took an early political the beginning of the Women’s Movement in students gained an insight and interest in at others. stance in promoting equity, educational New Zealand in the 1970s.” local sufrage events”. Mrs Johnston’s book goes beyond opportunities and greater independence,” “he basis of my academic studies was a “So in a Women’s Studies approach in universal sufrage and covers numerous said Mrs Johnston. focus on Women’s Studies papers and over writing this book, we know about the lives organisations and their participants who “What is clear is their willingness to take the years I taught this subject for Waikato and endeavours of many other local women were active in Gisborne between 1875 and on leadership roles, use problem solving University, Massey University and Tairawhiti during this time.” 1920. skills, raise funds and evidence supportive Polytechnic. Mrs Johnston, along with a dedicated Mrs Sievwright’s national prominence dedication to the people of this district.” “An important part of these studies collective, set up the Gisborne Women’s suggested she may have organised many of Mrs Johnston has completed a major task, concerned uncovering the often ‘hidden’ Refuge 40 years ago. but is not resting on her laurels. Confidence with a smile Only last week she was in Wellington working on her next project which will • Full dentures • Partial dentures • Denture repairs hopefully lead to another exhibition and • Hygienic Workmanship • Mouthguards • Gold work • Quality materials • Personal Service publication at Tairawhiti Museum in 2022. • Teeth bleaching • Guaranteed Expertise In May of next year, four stamps will be • WINZ quotes • Free Consultation released by NZ Post featuring the 1880s botanical paintings of Gisborne settler Sarah Ann Featon. Mrs Featon, created an album of her paintings of New Zealand lora accompanied by text written by her husband Edward. “Hardly anyone today would know who GISBORNE she is. I guess that’s another reason why I am DENTURE doing this.” CLINIC LTD he exhibition of her art work along with the publication will include a history of the SIMONE CHALLIES Laboratory Manager Featons’ time in Gisborne from 1875. JODY LUCAS Today Te Papa in Wellington has 95 of Clinical Dental Technician Heni Materoa Children’s Home is one of many organisations examined by Jean Johnston 36011-01 Mrs Featon’s paintings while the Alexander 96 DERBY STREET, GISBORNE I PHONE/FAX 06 867 4823 while researching Ambitious Gisborne Women. This Tairawhiti Museum picture captures Turnbull Library has others. the committee of 1919. SATurdAy, NovEMBEr 21, 2020 3 PROFILE TASTE TESTING: Sam Millton at Siduri Bar in Peel Street. Picture by Liam Clayton A man of wine and sunshine From Christchurch to China and back to Gisborne, Sam Millton took the long way home. Now firmly situated on the East Coast, working in the family business and running his own, Sam sat down for a chat with Jack Marshall about how he got to here. am Millton is a quintessential water balloons. And yeah, that was our “I remember him talking about how it was burning his hands on frying pans, missing strand of Gisborne culture. Like version of fun — causing headaches for over in Europe — how family was, how life out on a job making cofee and hating the Smost on the Coast, he is almost other people.” was orientated around good food and good bar he was working at, he ended up back in too relaxed at work and seems “One night, when we’d run out of water wine.