History Corner - The Yaldhurst School Committee 1907

It is three years now since a committee composed entirely of women was elected to take charge of the affairs of Yaldhurst Primary School.  The experiment excited a good deal of curiosity at the time and some rather cheap ridicule. But when it was seen that the ladies were not going to quarrel with the teachers or with the Board of Education or among themselves, they were allowed to go about business without much notice from anyone outside their little community.  There have been changes in the personnel of the committee since it was elected in 1904 but it still consists solely of women and the householders in the district appear so well satisfied with the work it is doing that there is little prospect of any change being made at the approaching election.

Several of the members of the committee were in town yesterday purchasing the prizes, as they explained for their annual prize distribution and a representative of the 'Lyttelton Times' had an opportunity to exchange a few words with them concerning their experience in public life.  They have been very well treated by everyone, was the first fact they wished to place on record.  When they first took office, some of their neighbours were included to look upon them with suspicion, perhaps with a little pity, but when the householders saw that they intended to carry out their duties in a quiet and businesslike way, they began to think that there might not be any objection to a committee of women after all. Now they seemed to have entire confidence in the administration and the men declared that they had no desire to undertake work again which the women could do so well.

The chairwomen was very careful to make it plain that she had no fault to find with the way men had done their work.  They were very busy she said and occupied with other affairs and they could not be expected to understand children as well as women did.  But she thought that without reflection on the men in any way, she could say that the general condition of the school had much improved during the past three years (in actual article there are 2x hand written fountain pen question marks ??.)  The teachers and the children felt that more sympathetic attention was being given to their affairs (1x ?) that their interest were being closely watched and that the committee was anxious to give them all the assistance it could (7x ???????.)

The members of the committee were all ready to acknowledge the courtesy they had received from the men, even from those they had supplanted in the management of the school.  "They say they don't mean to take up the work again" one smilingly explained "now they see we can do it well."  There are some disadvantages, however, in having a committee composed entirely of women.  Just now the Yaldhurst ladies are arranging "a bee' among their male friends to do some fencing and other work about the school, which they are scarcely able to undertake themselves.  "If we were only men" the secretary protested "we shouldn't have to worry the husbands and brothers."  But this is a small matter.  The men are doubtless delighted to give such help to the ladies who are bearing their burdens (1x ?.)  The committee is fortunate in having a secretary, a lady who adds to a long experience in the teaching profession a cheerful, factful manner, and a quick business instinct (2x ??.)  The correspondence is attended to promptly and the accounts are admirably kept.  During their term of office the ladies have more than doubled the price fund (5x ?????) and the picnic fund and have purchased a piano for the use of the school. Their finances are in a flourishing condition and they stand particularly well in the Education authorities (2x ??.)  They do not claim that women should monopolise the management of the school, indeed they think that a 'mixed' committee, especially in towns would be better than one composed wholly of men or wholly or women; but they believe that the members of their sex are always capable of doing good work where children have to be care for and the results they have achieved certainly justify their belief.  This is where the article ended.

Looking into New Zealand's history of how a women's vote was ever possible we have a group of women filled with undeniable passion, conviction and determination, the Women's Suffrage Movement.  

Without suffragist leader, Kate Sheppard 1847 - 1934 (5th from the left in below photograph) the Yaldhurst School Committee would never have been possible.  Kate was a prominent figure who was dedicated to removing the legal barriers that prejudiced women, ensuring all women had equal rights, independence and equal opportunities for all New Zealand women.

The electoral vote was passed 1893, granting women full voting rights. Below is a copy of a page from the original 1893 Suffrage Petition.  The first two names on the below petition are Mary Carpenter of Yaldhurst and Annie Gilberthorpe of Yaldhurst. 

It goes without saying that Yaldhurst School must have been quite the scandal of the time. Many a father, brother and husband would have been ridiculed for the confidence and trust they bestowed on the women of our community for having supported them.  But they did and they were obviously not allowing the public opinion to influence the promotion of change.