She was one of the first Kiwi women to reach the top of Aoraki/Mt Cook, yet she lies in an unmarked grave.
Now, decades later, a young relative is fighting to have her remembered.
Stella Sinton-White, 13, has launched a campaign to install a memorial plaque honouring her pioneering cousin, mountaineer Jane Thomson, more than 80 years after her death.
Thomson was a trailblazing climber who became one of the first women to climb New Zealand’s highest mountain, yet her achievements were largely overlooked in her lifetime.
She is buried in an unmarked plot at Ruru Lawn Cemetery in Christchurch.
“It was weird,” Stella said.
“I thought she would be a bit more recognised. But then, when I started searching up about her, I realised that no one really knew.”
Stella said the pair shared a love of the outdoors and mountaineering.
Her father, Andrew Sinton-White, said he was “stoked” when Stella decided to honour Thomson, saying he saw clear parallels between the two.
“There’s evidence that she had a great sense of humour,” he said.
“She took exception to the guys, especially back then, saying that women shouldn’t be in the mountains and that sort of thing, and would often mock some of those male climbers back in the day.”
He said Thomson often used humour to cope with hostility from male climbers, including writing an eight-verse poem mocking one fellow mountaineer, Sam Turner, which she is believed to have read aloud at the Mt Cook Hermitage, leaving his peers “in stitches”.
The family recently visited Thomson’s burial site, something Andrew said was a confronting experience.
“That unmarked grave that we recently visited is over the fence from where I grew up in Christchurch, and I had actually had no idea.
“It was a bit of a wake-up call, walking through this patch of grass surrounded by all these other plaques and memorials, and there’s just nothing for this blooming remarkable woman.
“Then we saw her patch of grass and we were like, well, this is just all that’s left of her.”
There was evidence that Thomson died poor and would likely never have pushed for recognition herself.
“She’d be the last person to make a fuss. But I think she’d be stoked to know that a distant cousin … has put so much effort into getting to know her.”
Thomson’s personal life was marked by tragedy.
Her only child, Edgar, died after being kicked in the head during a rugby accident.
While training for her ascent of Aoraki/Mt Cook, Thomson summited an unnamed peak and named it Mt Edgar Thomson in his memory.
Thomson, born in Kaiapoi in 1858, was a formidable mountaineer well into old age.
In 1903, she became one of the first women to cross the Copland Pass.
Despite her achievement, her guide, Jack Clarke, declared the route “unfit for ladies”.
On January 31, 1916, at the age of 57 and after three previous attempts, Thomson and renowned guide Conrad Kain finally traversed the summits of Aoraki/Mt Cook.
During their descent, Kain reportedly warned her: “If you slip here, I cannot save you.”
He later wrote: “Mrs Thomson is a skilful climber and knows how to handle the rope at such critical moments” and said she “never played out or showed fear”.
The climb was later described as “a marvellous feat unequalled for daring in the annals of the Southern Alps”.
Thomson completed numerous significant ascents across New Zealand, including The Footstool, Maunga Ma, Mt Jeannette, Malte Brun and Mt Ruapehu, and was among the first women to complete the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
Her favourite mountain was Mt Alexander in Arthur’s Pass, which she summited seven times. Stella and Andrew plan to climb the mountain next year.
At the age of 68, Thomson climbed to the low peak of Mt Rolleston, and at 80 she travelled to Kashmir to visit Nanga Parbat and the surrounding mountains.
Stella said Thomson’s determination stood out.
“She was just very determined, and she never really gave up. She never took no as an answer for anything.”
The family has been granted permission to install a plaque after establishing that they are probably the only living relatives.
“That’s why the council gave us permission. There was evidence to suggest we’re the only ones left.”
Stella designed the plaque herself, with some help from her father.
“It’s got her name and pictures of the mountains, and it mostly just says her achievements, so it catches people’s eye when they walk past,” she said.
“She loved botany and alpine flowers. Stella really wanted to make sure there was a Mt Cook lily on the plaque. There’s an ice axe, a mountain, and the lily.”
Canterbury Monuments has assisted the family in refining Stella’s design and wording, and has agreed to produce and install the plaque.
The family is fundraising $1777.60 to cover production and installation costs.
Stella said she hoped the plaque would help future visitors to understand who Thomson was, and “that she’s actually recognised for what she achieved”.
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Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.