Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.
Women in agriculture have always played an important role on and off the farm, pushing against the “grass ceiling” to have their voices heard in what was traditionally seen as
Pastures Past: Rural women making headlines in the 1940s
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Different aspects of rural women's lives made the papers back in the day.
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It wasn’t all doom and gloom though.
In 1941 the Auckland District Federation of Women’s Institutes passed a remit against “unsatisfactory and unfair” petrol restrictions to country residents — and Taranaki farmers sang the praises of the hardworking land girls, in the NZ Herald in 1942.
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Too much gossip
Women on the telephone
New Zealand Herald, November 17, 1927
Those people who monopolise party telephone lines for gossip and trivial conversations of unreasonable duration had few friends at a meeting at the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce.
“Every time I go to ring a subscriber on a rural line,“ said one member, “there is always the chatter of women’s voices on the wire.”
“They talk about babies and how many currants they put in their cakes,” interrupted another.
“Last week,” a businessman declared, “I had to get in touch with a party line subscriber very urgently, and for over half an hour the line was engaged, it being the same two women who were doing all the talking.”
A suggestion was made that check might be kept by the postal authorities on the length of conversations over party lines, but discussion on the proposal made it clear that such was quite impractical.
Institute affairs
Auckland Federation
Petrol restrictions
Hardships in rural areas
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New Zealand Herald, November 7, 1940
A protest against the petrol restrictions as they stood at present was embodied in a remit passed at the annual meeting of the Auckland District Federation of Women’s Institutes held yesterday in the Milne and Choyce Reception Hall.
The remit stated that the restrictions at present were unsatisfactory and unfair to country residents.
It suggested that they should be lightened to some extent for the benefit of the rural population and that less petrol should be allowed to city and suburban dwellers who had every facility of transport by buses and trams.
The president, Mrs. A. H. Blackmore, presided, and associated with her on the platform were Miss Amy Kane, of Wellington, Dominion president, Mrs. J. B. Macfarlane and Mrs. L. S. Rickerby, president and chairman respectively of the Victoria League, and members of the federation executive.
A visit ‘was also paid to the meeting by Miss B. E. Carnachan, who received socks knitted by the members for soldiers, on behalf of Patriotic headquarters at Yorkshire House.
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Women Voters
New Zealand Herald, May 17, 1941
Sir, — May I inquire the reasons, if any, for the following anomaly: Why is every woman over the age of 21, who resides in the city, whether property owner or not, entitled to a vote at the municipal elections, while the wives and daughters of farmers and rural dwellers, with just as many interests at stake, have no vote at county council elections?
Surely these women should have the same rights as their city sisters.
Pankhurst 1941 Model.
Land girls work well
New Zealand Herald, February 25, 1942
New Plymouth, Tuesday
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Farmers in Taranaki are taking a greater interest in the Women’s Land Corps.
Wherever they have been placed the girls have done so well that neighbouring farmers in the district have sent applications.
Hawera, Stratford and New Plymouth rural districts are all making inquiries for girls as a result of favourable impressions created.
- Source: Papers Past