Hawke’s Bay women challenged views through individual, collective action: Laura Vodanovich

Laying the foundation stone at the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Napier, 30 August 1911.

Opinion

Laura Vodanovich is MTG director.

OPINION

In March 2025 we will be opening a new exhibition Hidden in History: Trailblazing Women of Hawke’s Bay, which will feature several women who, despite making a significant contribution to their communities, have hitherto gone unnoticed by most.

This is an exhibition I’m very excited about and one that is long overdue. Early history books of Hawke’s Bay focused largely on men and women weren’t really considered, and this is one tiny step to highlight that. The question arises — who is writing our history today and how will women fare?

Choosing the women to include was not done lightly — we have an advisory committee that helped us create criteria and build a large list of potential women — eventually whittled down to 26 women from across Te Matau-a-Māui / Hawke’s Bay. This exhibition, researched and curated by Kay Morris Matthews brings the stories of these women into the light.

These women challenged predominant views through both individual and collective action on associated issues that were important to them. They felt compelled to act and to overcome, for example, social and legislative restrictions that impacted them and other women. These restrictions included limited options for being financially independent, having to relinquish property rights and paid employment upon marriage and being ineligible to vote in general elections.

We hope this exhibition will be of interest to residents and visitors alike and you just might be surprised by the impact these unsung women have had on the region — from the horticulture industry to social reform, sports to health and much more. These women made a significant contribution to their communities and have had a lasting impact on the Hawke’s Bay that we know and love today.

By the very fact that these women have been largely unsung, it has at times been quite a challenge to track down information about them. A few women, originally on our list, had to be removed as we just couldn’t find enough out about them. Wherever possible, Kay has liaised with descendants or family members regarding the women, and this has been incredibly helpful to ensure we are doing each woman justice. However, there are some we would still like to find relatives for. For a few women we have had names or leads but no luck in making contact. The hope is that someone out there can help put us in touch with their relatives or descendants.

The women concerned are:

• Jean Ballantyne nee Wright, (1906-1980) — Hastings dance teacher and choreographer
• Elsie Dillon (1910-1996) — Waipawa nurse
• Sisters - Olive Ellison (1884-1971) and Ruth Ellison (1886 – 1952) — Napier authors
• May Gardiner (1881-1965) — Nuhaka Presbyterian Mission
• Hilda Hitchings (1815-1894) — champion tennis player, daughter of Napier surgeon Thomas Hitchings
• Ruth Lovell-Smith nee Day (1884-1963) — Hastings community worker
• Elizabeth Porteous (1880-1964) — Dannevirke nurse
• Mere Haana Hall (1880/81 – 1966) — Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Hukarere teacher and principal

Should you be a family member or know of one for any of these women we would really appreciate hearing from you.