The Cruickshank Twins, Teachers and Healers with a TGHS Connection

By Roselyn Fauth

Imagine a woman riding a bicycle across Waimate’s gravel roads with a satchel full of syringes, aspirin, quinine, and opium-based cough mixtures. She must have felt exhausted. As a doctor during the 1918 influenza, also known as the Spanish Flu, she might have been the only person to visit the sick that day. You can almost picture her, Dr Margaret Cruickshank, riding on to her next house call. I think she is one of the most remarkable people in our region’s history. And her twin sister was pretty awesome too.

During the Covid pandemic, we spent a fair bit of time at the cemetery with our children. It became our way of getting out of the house so my husband Chris could have some peace to work from home and concentrate on his Zoom meetings. Our girls would dress up in costumes, and together we would wander past the headstones. I would pick out interesting ones, and go home and learn about the people who rested there.

To be honest, I hadn't spent much time in cemeteries before. I never felt quite comfortable there, never truly welcome. But now, looking back, I realise it was not that the space felt unwelcoming. It was my feelings and fear of death. My mortality, and knowing one day I will lose the people I love, and that I too will be faced with grief. Visiting the graves has made me face these internal dialogues and come to terms with the inevitable, and think of bigger concepts, like why we are here, what can be our purpose and our legacy.

Timaru’s cemetery holds many stories of people and their legacy. There are graves of people who died during the 1918 influenza pandemic, and those who survived and made it through, off the back of World War One. Reading those stories gave me hope while I was trying to make sense of our own lockdown experience. By learning about the people, their struggles and resilience from the past, I learned a lot more about myself. Today’s story is about the grave of the Cruickshank twins, who rest in Waimate.

Twin sisters Margaret and Christina Cruickshank shaped the course of education, medicine and women’s leadership in South Canterbury, North Otago and across the nation. From Margaret’s heroic role in the 1918 influenza pandemic to Christina’s groundbreaking work as a science educator and principal, their legacy is powerful. A cemetery headstone, a statue in Waimate, and a motto at Timaru Girls’ High School reveal a story of courage, sacrifice and trailblazing spirit to empower women...

An imposing eight metre high marble statue of Dr Cruickshank erected in 1923 carved from white Carrara marble. Robed in academic dress and holding a Bible, the statue is both stately and solemn. It honours Dr Margaret Barnett Cruickshank, faithful until her death.

Margaret Cruickshank memorial at Seddon Square, Waimate unveiled on 25 July 1923. Dr Cruickshank is shown in academic robes, holding a Bible, symbolising both her scholarly achievement and moral commitment. Erected in New Zealand to honour a female doctor. It was one of the earliest public statues in the country dedicated to a woman, as a tribute to her service during the 1918 influenza pandemic and her legacy as a medical pioneer. The sculptor was William Trethewey (1892–1956) was a New Zealand-born artist, he also created the Nurses’ Memorial Chapel reredos in Christchurch and the Citizens’ War Memorial in Cathedral Square. Engraved on the monument are the words, 'The Beloved Physician / Faithful unto Death.' - Photo Roselyn Fauth

If you have ever walked through Seddon Square in Waimate, you may have seen her statue. Margaret Barnett Cruickshank, born on New Year’s Day 1873 in Palmerston, Otago, her twin sister was Christina. Their parents George Cruickshank (born Scotland, 1837) and Elizabeth “Bessie” Taggart (born Scotland, 1839) emigrated to New Zealand, settling in Palmerston, Otago. George was originally a farmer from Aberdeen, Scotland and emigrated to Australia during the 1850s to seek better opportunities as a stonemason in the Australian gold mines. By 1863, he moved to Dunedin, New Zealand, and became a contracting roading engineer. Margaret (Elizabeth) Taggart originated from Inverurie near Aberdeen.  George and Margaret married on 27 February 1872 at Knox Church, Dunedin and raised their family on a 90-acre farm named Riverheads in Hawkesbury.

When their mother Elizabeth died of puerperal fever on 19 June 1883 after the birth of the seventh child, Margaret and her sister, Christina took turns attending school. One would go to class, the other would stay home to care for their five younger brothers and sisters. At night, they taught each other what they had missed. I think the shared sacrifice, perseverance and duty probably helped shape both their lives and ideas. 

In 1891, Christina and Margaret became joint duxes of Otago Girls’ High School, each earning a prestigious University Junior Scholarship. The title Dux is awarded to the top academic student in a school, usually at secondary level. The word originates from the Latin word dux, “leader”.

Margaret was apparently initially hesitant to study medicine but was encouraged by Emily Siedeberg. Emily and Margaret were schoolmates,  both attended Otago Girls’ High School and later studied medicine at Otago Medical School. Emily enrolled in 1891 and Margaret 1892. Emily was the first woman to graduate in medicine in New Zealand in 1896. In 1897, Margaret became the second woman to complete a medical degree in New Zealand. Margaret graduated with an MBChB in 1896 and later earned an MD in 1903. On 3 May, she became the first woman officially registered as a doctor. At the 1897 University of Otago graduation, it was said applause was especially enthusiastic for Miss Cruickshank, and Miss Ethel Benjamin who was graduating with the first law degree awarded to a woman in New Zealand.

Margaret Cruickshank memorial at Seddon Square, Waimate unveiled on 25 July 1923. Photography by Geoff Cloake

A slight side quest here... but I think it helps to know about other women graduating at a similar time, to give context to just how trail blazing the Cruickshank twins were.

Ethel Benjamin was New Zealand’s first woman lawyer. Born in Dunedin in 1875, she attended Otago Girls’ High School before becoming the first woman to enrol in law at the University of Otago, the first university in Australasia to allow women to study law. She graduated in 1897 and made history on 10 May when she was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand under the Female Law Practitioners Act 1896. Later that year, on 17 September, she became the first woman in the British Empire to appear in court as counsel. Despite facing significant discrimination from the Otago District Law Society, including restricted access to the library, exclusion from events, criticism of her dress, and a lack of mentoring, Ethel built a successful practice in Princes Street, Dunedin. She became known for representing women, children, and others often marginalised in the legal system. From 1899 she served as honorary solicitor for the Dunedin branch of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, advocating in cases involving domestic abuse, divorce, adoption, and women’s rights. Her resilience, intellect and commitment to justice helped pave the way for future generations of women in law. She died in Northwood, Middlesex in 1943 after a road accident. Her legacy endures through the Ethel Benjamin Prize, established in 1997 to support outstanding women law graduates in New Zealand, and Ethel Benjamin Place, named in her honour in Dunedin in 1993.

Caroline Freeman (1856 – 1914) born in Oamaru to a working-class family, was the first woman to matriculate and graduate from a university in New Zealand. She studied at the University of Otago from 1878-1885 part-time for years while working full-time as a teacher and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduating, she went on to establish Girton College in Dunedin and later in Christchurch, providing secondary education for girls and preparing them for university study. Her determination and achievement marked a significant step forward for women’s access to higher education in New Zealand, at a time when higher education was still considered unsuitable for women by many. Caroline Freeman never married. She lived with her close companion Hélène Cross a Paris-trained French teacher. Hélène Cross briefly married Charles Cross in 1906, but after the marriage ended she returned to Girton College and cared for Caroline who suffered from ill health. Caroline died on 16 August 1914 in Christchurch, New Zealand, at the age of about 58. Hélène was also named the executor of Caroline’s estate.

Girton College was a private girls’ school in Dunedin founded by Caroline Freeman to prepare young women for university study. She lived on the premises and was deeply involved in the school’s academic and daily life, creating a supportive environment for girls’ education. Today, what was Girton College is part of Columba College, a respected girls’ day and boarding school in Dunedin.

Canterbury Museum 1989.43.2

Margaret accepted a position as assistant to Dr Herbert Clifford Barclay in Waimate where she advocated for doctor registration equality. She avoided publicity, but met with the iconic suffragist Kate Sheppard informally in 1900. She was asked to be interviewed for a Women's Christian Temperance Union journal article, but she declined, saying she disliked “the essentially egotistical character of an interview” and felt she wasn’t quite suited to speak “dogmatically about questions affecting women practitioners”. She did have a few hours of conversation with Kate, though, who later reflected on Cruickshank’s kindness and noted that Margaret credited much of her professional success to the support and courtesy she received from her teachers and male colleagues.

Margaret lectured for St John’s Ambulance and wrote health articles under the pseudonym “Margaret Faithful”. In 1913, she travelled to the UK for postgraduate study and returned in 1914 and  led hospital improvements, especially nurse accommodation and hygiene standards.

When war broke out, Dr Herbert Clifford Barclay left New Zealand in 1914 to serve overseas during World War I. Initially travelling toward England, he instead offered his medical services to the Russian Red Cross in Petrograd, arriving there in mid‑September, and helping to establish a field hospital near the Eastern Front. By January 1915, he had transitioned to England, where he served as a Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps until the end of the war in 1918.

Margaret had to step up, and is said to have taken on the bulk of responsibility. she shared the role of hospital superintendent with two other local doctors in Dr Barclay’s absence. Dr Edwin Claude Hayes and Dr Arthur Gentry Pitts were the two physicians who shared the role of hospital superintendent with Dr Margaret Cruickshank during the First World War, ensuring the continued operation of Waimate Hospital in Dr Barclay’s absence. Dr Hayes, who also served in the New Zealand Medical Corps and returned in 1918, had his ashes interred in Waimate Old Cemetery. Dr Pitts, who had been practising in Waimate since 1907, served alongside his wife Edith as hospital consultants from 1915. He is buried in the Anglican section of Waimate Cemetery, alongside Edith and their daughter Joan. Both men played important roles in supporting the Waimate community during what must have been a time of immense pressure and uncertainty.

Dr Herbert Clifford Barclay did not return, and is buried in Pine Road Cemetery in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, England. 

In 1922, Christina Murray Cruickshank, acting as executrix (female form of "executor" of a will) of her late sister Dr Margaret Cruickshank’s estate, was involved in a legal dispute with Dr Herbert Clifford Barclay, Margaret’s former medical partner in Waimate. The two doctors had formalised a partnership in 1914 that was intended to last throughout their lifetimes. During the First World War, Barclay left New Zealand, serving first in the Russian and then the British armies, while Margaret continued the practice alone. After her death from influenza in 1918, Christina sought to enforce an arbitration clause in their agreement. The arbitrator found that the partnership had remained active until Margaret’s death and directed Barclay to pay one-fifth of both his military earnings and the profits from his later medical practice in Maidstone, England, to her estate. The court upheld the arbitration ruling and allowed enforcement of the award. In the same year, Christina also appeared as a mortgagee in a public land sale involving nearly 487 acres in Wainuiomata, securing a £500 loan she had made. 

Waimate Hospital Nursing Staff including Dr Barclay Includes Matron Mander Nurse Gorman Warder Penrose, Nurse Watt tall nurse standing centre of back row Nurse Neal Nurse Detford Waimate Museum P1374

Margaret led Waimate’s Red Cross fundraising, trained nurses, and supported her community through a time of deep uncertainty. Her dedication soon saw her become a partner in the practice in 1900, and she was popular in the close-knit South Canterbury community. She brought many changes to the hospital over the duration of the war, including better lighting, and to try and resolve shortage of accommodation for the nurses.

When troops returned home from the First World War, they brought the influenza virus with them. In New Zealand, the pandemic killed around 9,000 people in just a few weeks, a number that came close to the 18,000 New Zealanders who died during the war. It remains one of the deadliest events in the country’s history.

The pandemic Dr Cruickshank faced must have felt terrifying and daunting. It was called the Spanish flu not because it came from Spain, but because Spain reported on it openly, while other countries, still caught up in the war, censored their news. With no vaccines or effective treatments, physicians like Dr Cruickshank could offer only the limited care available at the time. This included aspirin, quinine, opium-based cough mixtures, and rest. Alongside these, they provided comfort as patients, friends, and even colleagues died around them. Doctors became public health leaders as well as caregivers, navigating fear, confusion, and resistance from the public. Much about the disease was misunderstood. Some believed it was caused by bacteria. Others unknowingly took dangerously high doses of aspirin. Misinformation spread quickly while governments attempted to downplay the severity, and vulnerable communities were often unfairly blamed. Reflecting on our own experience of the COVID pandemic, I can completely understand how this could happen.

When her driver fell ill, she went by bicycle or by horse and gig, often lending a hand to feed babies or milk cows.

Dr Cruickshank rode her bike from house to house, cared for entire families, fed infants, prepared meals, and, according to NZHistory, even milked the family cow when no one else could. Apart from a year of postgraduate study in Britain in 1913, she remained in Waimate for the rest of her life. As the 1918 influenza pandemic took hold and with Dr Barclay still overseas, Margaret faced the crisis largely alone.

During the pandemic, a public meeting was held and Margaret reported that the situation was quickly getting out of control. She used Christchurch as an example to demonstrate the effects of not setting up adequate precautions early on. As a result of her speech, the council determined that hygiene standards at hotels needed to be raised and bars had to be closed to prevent the spread. They also decided that only the most serious of cases were to be admitted to the hospital – minor cases were expected to self-isolate at home.

After weeks of working through most days and nights, she fell ill herself. She attempted to remain at her post for a few more days, however, on 18 November she was admitted to the hospital. On 28 November 1918, she died of pneumonia. She had never married. She was one of fourteen doctors in New Zealand to lose their lives during the pandemic.  “Where the mother was laid low, she fed the baby… she would milk the family cow to obtain milk for their sustenance.” These were the words of those who had seen her work first-hand. The people of Waimate knew what true devotion looked like.

Due to the epidemic, Margaret did not want people congregating together and therefore the funeral was not advertised. Many lined the streets in her honour. On 25 January 1922, five years after her death, the town erected a marble statue in her name.

Margaret was a doctor. A midwife. A counsellor. A nurse. A teacher, and an advocate. She delivered babies, set bones, comforted the grieving, and never turned away a patient because they could not pay. 

“We wish that, in years to be, the story should be told of a woman who was brave, and strong, and kind, and true as steel, who had a heart with room for others’ sorrows, and hands swift and sure in deeds of loving service; who gave her life as truly for duty’s sake as any soldier on the “gallant, glorious” field. She is dead, but her influence on others is a living thing that cannot die.” – E. Morrison, 1924.

“Yes Margaret Cruickshank was a doctor; but she was also a spiritual woman of diverse abilities. A superficial glance revealed a somewhat austere, inflexible severity that reminded me of the greenstone (pounamu) boulders I had come to know on the West Coast. Further study revealed her warm, caring nature exhibiting compassion, gentleness, humour and attention to detail. As with polished jade, I found a rare beauty, a life that was engaging and noble.” – David Lockyer, 2014.

Waimate Public Hospital. Waimate Museum and Archives P1486. A number of sod built cottages were built at Sodtown in the Waimate’s early days. The area became the site of Waimate Hospital. A cottage hospital was built on the site of former SOD TOWN in 1874-5. A larger building was erected in 1878. Dr Deane (from Blenheim) was appointed resident surgeon in December 1878. he Waimate Hospital stands on sixteen acres of ground about a quarter of a mile outside the boundary of the borough, on the Waimate Gorge road. Ten acres of the land are freehold and six are held under a nominal rent from the Borough Council. Mrs Jane Chapman, Matron of the Waimate Hospital, was born in Melbourne, and received a home education at Merri Creek, Coburg, Victoria, where she was brought up. In 1863 she became the wife of the late Mr William George Chapman, of Merry [Merri] Creek. Mr. and Mrs Chapman were appointed Master and Matron of the Waimate Hospital in 1887 but six years later Mr. Chapman gave up his position owing to ill health, and was an invalid till the time of his death, in 1893. Mrs Chapman, however continued to act as Matron, and had full charge of the Hospital until 1893.

In 1923, the people of Waimate unveiled a memorial statue in Seddon Square. It is inscribed simply: “The Beloved Physician / Faithful Unto Death.”

The unveiling of Dr Margaret Cruickshank’s statue in Waimate on 25 July 1923 was a significant public event, attended by a wide range of dignitaries and community members who came to honour her legacy. Dr Emily Siedeberg, her former classmate and New Zealand’s first female medical graduate, spoke on behalf of the New Zealand Medical Women’s Association, paying tribute to Dr Cruickshank’s life of service and compassion. Other speakers included John Bitchener, the Member of Parliament for Waitaki, and Thomas Lawson Hart, Chair of the Waimate County Council. Miss M. Allen represented the Otago University Women’s Association, and the statue was unveiled by Mrs Barclay, Dr Cruickshank’s landlady of twenty-three years. The event was a deeply respectful occasion that acknowledged not only Dr Cruickshank’s professional contributions but also the profound affection in which she was held by the people of Waimate.

In 1948, the maternity ward at Waimate Hospital was named in her honour. And, in 2007, the Ministry of Health named its national pandemic planning drill Exercise Cruickshank, in recognition of her extraordinary example of service and sacrifice.

Monument to New Zealand's first female registered Doctor, who worked in Waimate and died in 1918 of pneumonia. She was one of fourteen doctors in New Zealand to lose their lives during the influenza pandemic. - Photo Roselyn Fauth

Now, meet one of the most loved and significant female educators in New Zealand... Margaret's twin sister, Christina Cruickshank.

As one of the first women in the region to teach science to girls, she helped introduce academic disciplines that were, at the time, largely inaccessible to young women. Her five years teaching at Timaru Girls’ High School in the early 1900s contributed significantly to the school’s reputation for academic excellence and the advancement of girls’ education.

Her twin, Christina, who had also earned a science degree MA and MSc from the University of Otago in the mid‑1890s and taught at Timaru Girls’ High School in the early 1900s., She was one of the first women to teach science to girls in the region. Imagine the impact of that. A generation of Timaru girls being taught by a woman who had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the country’s most important medical pioneers. Christina went on to lead Wanganui Girls’ College for more than two decades. I don't think she had any children or a husband. Christina returned to Christchurch later in life, living there with friends after retiring from her role as principal of Wanganui Girls’ College in the early 1930s Christina passed away on 16 November 1939, aged 66 and was buried in Waimate Old Cemetery, Waimate District, Canterbury, New Zealand. Though she died in Christchurch, the family’s wish was honored: she was buried back in Waimate, where she and Margaret shared so much of their lives, and now rest, side by side.

To me, Timaru Girls High Schools motto "Knowledge is Power" means that learning gives you the tools to shape your life and help others. It reflects the school’s long history of encouraging girls to think deeply, aim high, and lead with purpose. Knowledge is powerful because it give us, as individuals the ability to understand the world, make informed decisions, and improve our lives. It also helps people challenge unfair systems, gain independence, and create positive change in their communities. Use your knowledge to lead. Stay curious, keep learning, and share your insights to uplift others. Let what you know guide you to make a difference.

Tennis Team in 1900. Christina Cruickshank is the teacher on the back right. Courtesy Timaru Girls High School archives

"Miss Cruickshank had full charge, for nearly two years, of a school at Kyeburn with over 50 scholars and all the classes. Then, after acting as an assistant for nearly three years in Prince Albert College, Auckland, she was offered and accepted the position of “locum tenens” for the mathematical mistress, Dunedin Girls’ High School. On the expiry of this appointment she held for five years an assistant’s position in the Timaru Girls’ High School, and resigned that four and a half years ago to take up her present position in charge of the Southland Girls’ High School, Invercargill, where the attendance has ranged from 135 to 155. Her classification as a teacher is 1a. Apart from her scholastic attainments, Miss Cruickshank is a woman of lofty ideals, and one whose influence upon her pupils is powerful and enduring. In the language of the Lady Principal of the Timaru Girls’ High School: “Miss Cruickshank has the gift of arousing in her pupils a genuine enthusiasm for their work, so that they give it, and make excellent progress with her. She is popular with the girls, and her influence over them, in and out of school, is of the best possible nature.” - Wanganui Chronicle Volume 1, Issue 12602 6 Sept 1910.

The Cruickshank era at Whanganui Girls College lasted 20 years and see the school through WWI, and with her Masters Degrees in science and arts, went on to broaden the school curriculum to cater for girls who aspired to develop their home making skills right through to those who wished to go to university.

The First World War led to special efforts at the school of knitting, sewing and fundraising to help support New Zealand soldiers overseas and returned service men at home.

"War has helped bring us many things - the weak spots in our national life and our responsibility for the future. We are conscious there are things in our education that we have barely touched yet, so we must move on," wrote Miss Cruickshank.

These 1914 Whanganui Girls' College students were expected to perform ladylike exercises like this drill routine. When the war ended, the school had a science department and the present day Whanganui East site had been purchased. The camera club was established at the college during the Cruickshank era and budding journalists could get experience writing for the Adastrian. One such student was Stella Scouller (nee Meuli) who attended Wanganui Girls' College from 1924-1932. When she was interviewed for the school's 100th anniversary in 1991, Mrs Scouller, one time lady editor of the Wanganui Herald, said she had immense respect for Miss Cruickshank.

Christina Cruickshank carried the highest salary then awarded to any woman in New Zealand £700, with board and additional allowances.

"I loved her," she said. "She was an amazing woman and a brilliant scholar. I held her in great awe." - The book title -- Ladies in the Laboratory III: South African, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian Women in Science: Nineteenth and Early Twentieth centuries. Creese Mary R.S.,C Creese, Thomas. P102 & 103 cover her life.

Miss Christina Cruickshank was succeeded by Agnes Tizard, principal from 1932 until 1938.

Timaru Girls High School around c1915 with girls posted in groups in front of the main school building. South Canterbury Museum 2009/108.01. The schools motto is Motto, Scientia Potestas Est (knowledge is power) as a common seal. This was taken from FrancisBacon’s “Religious Meditation’ 1597. It opened for lessons on Monday 2 February 1880 as a co-educational secondary school located on Cain and Hassall Streets. The day saw 35 girls and 28 boys. (Aged from 13 to 19 years old). Classes were to begin at 10am and finish at 4pm. The first school building constructed in 1880 for the considerable sum of 4 448 pounds by Mr James Gore of Dunedin.  Following a major fire in 1898, if officially split into two single-sex schools on the same site, with girls remaining at the original location. In 1913 Timaru Boys' High School moved to North Street. The school role was 76 years at the start of 1914. The boarding hostel was added by 1920 to support rural students. Miss Mary McLean Principal for the Girls. She had been a student of the school in the past. The first Boarding House was established in a rented house, 100North Street, known as ”Croomlea”. The house had been owned by Andrew MCKay. The first women to graduate from the School both studied medicine; Dr Elizabeth Gunn (Otago University) and Dr A Balfour from (Edinburgh University). Post WWII saw a massive increase in roll and the buildings that were added to site were constructed. A lot of these buildings are buildings that we still have on site. Martins Field was nambed after AC Martin, who was the School Board Secetary for many years. In 1963, Timaru Girls’ High School became the largest girl's school in The South Island  with a Roll of 771. (Source Timaru Girls High Archives)

Timaru Girls’ High School started out as Timaru High School, founded in 1880 as part of a co-educational secondary school located on Cain and Hassall Streets. There was a major fire in 1897, and p18 of 'Lively Retrospect' said the he fire at Timaru High School happened on August 24th, 1897. ... the west classrooms, the large public school room and the museum became a fiery furnace. ... the east classrooms and gymnasium were saved. 

P19 - By November it was decided that the separation of the two schools should begin from 1898. ... It recommended that the Timaru High School be re-organised into two distinct schools, male and female, in one building, staff salaries to be adjusted to suit the new organisation. By November it was decided that the separation of the two schools should begin from 1898. Mr Hogben was offered the position of headmaster of the Boys School at pds 450 per annum and Miss McLean that of headmistress of the Girls High school at pds 300.

p26 - The most important event of 1906 was the purchase of a site of twelve acres up North Street from the trustees of St Mary's Anglican Church for a Boys High school. This meant that, in due course, the boys and not the girls would do the shifting

P31 - In 1913 the boys departed to the new building in North Street, becoming Timaru Boys’ High School. By 1920, a boarding hostel was added to the girls’ school to support students from rural areas, strengthening its role in regional education.

Notable Students and Teachers from Timaru High School and Timaru Girls High School

Timaru Girls’ High School has an impressive legacy of educating women who have gone on to make significant contributions across many fields. The school has also produced national sports figures, including White Ferns cricketers Haidee Tiffen and Maria Fahey, and Olympic gold medallist Jorja Miller. In public service, Jo Goodhew served as a Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister. Medical pioneers such as Elizabeth Gunn and Eva Hill further reflect the school’s tradition of encouraging academic excellence and social contribution. Together, these alumnae embody the school’s enduring commitment to empowering young women to lead, create, and inspire.

Bella MacCallum (née Cross) (1886 – 1927), attended Timaru Girls’ High School in the early 1900s, and is an example of how the school enabled women to pursue higher education and groundbreaking careers. After excelling in her studies, she went on to earn a BA and MA with First Class Honours in botany from Canterbury College, later becoming the first woman in New Zealand to receive a Doctor of Science degree. Her pioneering research into native plants and fungi gained international recognition, leading to her election as a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London. MacCallum’s achievements reflect the strong academic foundation and encouragement provided by Timaru Girls’ High School, which helped open pathways for young women in science and beyond. She married twice. First to Lance Jennings (died in 1916) and later to Sir Peter MacCallum in 1919, with whom she had three daughters. Tragically, she died in Melbourne on 17 March 1927 at around 40 years old, during childbirth.

Dolce Ann Cabot (1862–1943) was a pioneering New Zealand journalist, teacher and advocate for women's rights. She was brought up on the family farm at Otipua near Timaru where she was first educated privately. After spending two years at Christchurch Girls' High School (1878–80), she studied teacher training at Christchurch Normal School. She later became an extramural student at Canterbury College but did not complete the degree course. Cabot taught at Timaru Main School from 1880 to 1891. She is probably the first woman employed by a New Zealand newspaper. In 1894 she was appointed editor of the Ladies’ Page of The Canterbury Times, a position she held until 1907. Through her writing she championed women’s education, suffrage, public health and social reform, addressing issues such as child marriage and poor working conditions. In 1907 she married railway stationmaster Andrew Duncan at Timaru and stepped back from journalism to focus on family life, helping raise his seven children. She briefly contributed to the Ladies’ Mirror in 1922 but published little after that. While married, she discontinued her interest in writing and feminism, devoting her efforts to raising her seven stepchildren. Cabot died in Christchurch on 31 May 1943, leaving behind a legacy as one of New Zealand’s earliest and most influential female voices in the press. 

Jean Boag Struthers (1899–2002) was a botanist and chemistry teacher at Timaru Girls’ High School before moving to England in 1931. In 1931 she moved to England and became Head of the Chemistry Department at Twickenham Girls’ Grammar School. After 33 years abroad, she returned to New Zealand in 1963 and continued teaching chemistry through the Correspondence School. Her legacy was honoured when the Royal Society Te Apārangi included her in its 150 Women in 150 Words series in 2017.

Rosemary Campbell (born 1941) studied at Ilam School of Fine Arts and then won a scholarship to study at the École des Beaux-Arts before returning to teach at TGHS. An accomplished landscape painter and etcher, she inspired generations of young artists during her years at the school. She taught at Timaru Girls’ High School, Craighead Diocesan School, and Aoraki Polytechnic, sharing her knowledge in watercolour painting, lithography, etching, and portraiture. She has featured in over 60 solo exhibitions across the country and abroad, including in Melbourne and Hong Kong. Rosemary’s art is held in prestigious public galleries such as Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, as of Junbe 2025,  was working and creating from her home base in South Canterbury.

Elizabeth Catherine Gunn (1879–1963) was a pioneering New Zealand paediatrician and public health reformer who played a central role in advancing child health. Educated at Timaru and Otago Girls’ High Schools, she earned her medical degree in Edinburgh in 1903 and later trained in obstetrics in Dublin. Returning to New Zealand, she joined the School Medical Service in 1912 and served as a captain in the New Zealand Medical Corps during World War I. In 1919, she founded New Zealand’s first health camp for children, launching a nationwide movement to support the wellbeing of undernourished and vulnerable youth. As Director of the Division of School Hygiene from 1937 to 1940, she introduced innovations in school health education and parent engagement. Known for her strong will and dedication, she continued to practise medicine after retiring and was appointed MBE in 1951 for her services to child health.

Around 40 'Old Girls' fropm Timaru Girls High School served overseas during the war, as nurses, VADs, and WAAC, dided in a plane crash in France in 1945.

Joyce Guthrie, whose maiden name was Macdonald, grew up in Timaru and attended Waimataitai Primary School followed by Timaru Girls' High School. She trained as a nurse at Timaru Hospital and gained experience working in local hospitals before joining the New Zealand Army Nursing Service in 1941. For three years she served in military hospitals abroad, beginning in Egypt and the Middle East, and later following New Zealand troops to a hospital in Italy. She rose to the rank of lieutenant during this time. Her memoir, Away From Home, shows her strong dedication to the care of her patients, as well as a clear sense of adventure. While on leave, she travelled to places such as the Nile River, the Holy Land, Petra and Khartoum. One of these trips led to her being disciplined for returning late without permission. Joyce was particularly struck by the courage and resilience of the New Zealand soldiers she nursed, especially in the orthopaedic ward where she dealt with some of the most serious cases. After the war, she married, moved to Dunedin, and remained involved in community work through the Red Cross.

New Zealand. Dept. of Internal Affairs. Publicity Division. The 2nd New Zealand General Hospital in Italy where Joyce served later in her war [photograph]. Ref: DA-09235-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23028579

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LEFT: New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. Publicity Division. The 2nd New Zealand General Hospital, Italy [photograph]. Ref: DA-09076-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22876366 RIGHT  New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. Publicity Division. An interior view of a New Zealand military hospital in Italy, showing nurses attending to patients [photograph]. Ref: DA-07530-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22446814

A few blocks away at the Timaru Boys High School, they grieved the loss of 53 Old Boys who died in the First World War, and 132 more in the Second World War. In 1924, the Timaru Boys High School opened a Memorial Library in honour of those who died in the Great War. A wing was added in 1955 to commemorate those lost in the Second World War, and a stained-glass window was unveiled to mark their memory.

Timaru High School 1880-1955 (09 Apr 1955). Aoraki Heritage Collection, accessed 23/06/2025, https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1727

I've stood in front of Margaret’s statue in Waimate so many times, explaining to our young girls who she was. Standing there we imagined being in her shoes at the time. After living with the fear of the Covid pandemic ourselves, and seeing the unity and division of the community, it made me wonder would I have done the same, or knowing my own health was on the line would I have put myself first? The truth is I guess we rarely know what we’re capable of until we are called to the moment to respond. 

Where the Cruickshank Twins, Teachers and Healers rest in their graves in the Old Cemetery of Waimate. Twin girls born on New Year’s Day 1873 in Palmerston, Otago to George and Elizabeth Cruickshank (nee Taggart). - Photo Roselyn Fauth

FUNERAL OF MISS C. M. CRUICKSHANK Miss Christina Murray Cruickshank, whose death recently occurred in Christchurch, was buried in Waimate on Saturday alongside her sister, Dr. Margaret Cruickshank. The service at the graveside was conducted by the Rev. L. Robertson, of Christchurch. Dr. Cruickshank won a high place in the regard of Waimate people through her work during the influenza epidemic in 1918. She died as a result of that work, and a monument in Waimate commemorates her name. Her sister, now buried beside her, had a distinguished academic career.
- TIMARU HERALD, VOLUME CXLVII, ISSUE 21507, 21 NOVEMBER 1939, PAGE 3

MISS C. M. CRUICKSHANK In Christchurch on Thursday the death occurred, of Miss Christina Murray Cruickshank, one of the most loved and revered figures in education circles in New Zealand. Miss Cruickshank had a brilliant career as a student and achieved great success as a teacher. She was born in Palmerston, Otago, in 1873, educated at Shag Valley School and Palmerston South j District High School, and later at tho Otago Girls’ High School. Dunedin, where, with her twin sister, the late Dr. M. B. Cruickshank, she was dux. She gained a junior university scholarship and continued her studies at Otago University, graduating M.A. with honours and Master of Science. Miss Cruickshank began her teaching career in 1896 at Kveburn, and two years later joined the staff of Prince Albert College, Auckland. Later she taught for a short time at the Otago Girls’ High School, and five years at the Timaru Girls’ High School, and in 1911 _ was appointed principal of Wanganui Girls’ College, a position which 6he held for 20 years. After her retirement in 1931. Miss Cruickshank lived for some time at Cashmere Hills, Christchurch, where she had many friends and admirers. On her return from a visit to England and Scotland, she, revisited Wanganui, where she was honoured at many gatherings arranged by her former pupils and. friends.
- OBITUARY. MANAWATU STANDARD, VOLUME LIX, ISSUE 300, 21 NOVEMBER 1939

Old pupils of the Otago Girls’ High School will learn with regret of the death of Miss Christina Murray Cruickshank, one of the most loved and revered figures in education circles in New Zealand, Miss Cruickshank had a brilliant career as a student and achieved great success as a teacher She was born in Palmerston in 1873, educated at Shag Valley School and Palmerston 'District High School, and later at the Otago Girls’ High School, Dunedin, where, with her distinguished twin sister, the late Dr M. B. Cruickshank, she was dux. She gained a junior university scholarship and continued her studies at Otago University, graduating M.A, with honours and Master of Science. Miss Cruickshank began her teaching career in 1896 at Kyeburn, and two years later joined the staff of Prince Albert College. Auckland. Later she taught for a short time at the Otago Girls’ High School, and five years at the Timaru Girls’ High School, and in 1911 was appointed principal of Wanganui Girls' College, a position which she held for 20 years. After her retirement in 1931. Miss Cruickshank lived for some time at Cashmere Hills, Christchurch, where she had many friends and admirers. On her return from a visit to England and Scotland, she revisited Wanganui, where she was honoured at many gatherings arranged by her former pupils and friends. Miss Cruickshank (the Press says) was an energetic, dignified woman of great mental and spiritual gifts, who exerted a powerful influence for good on the many hundreds of girls who passed through her hands during the 35 years she devoted to teaching.
- PERSONAL AND SOCIALOTAGO DAILY TIMES, ISSUE 23971, 21 NOVEMBER 1939

"Dr Cruickshank gained her diploma in 1897, and as physician and surgeon entered into practice with Dr Barclay 22 years ago. She was the first woman in New Zealand to start active practice. She quickly gained the esteem of the people of Waimate and as time went on the people of the district learned to like her more and more. When the epidemic broke out in Waimate she worked night and day attending patients until she herself fell a victim to influenza and later pneumonia. The deceased lady was very greatly esteemed for her personal qualities as well as for her professional skill, which was of such an order as to effectually remove the prejudice and want of confidence felt in female doctors in the days of her early professional career. In fact, it has been claimed that no member of her sex did more in the Dominion to establish female doctors in the confidence of the public. The loss of her kindly ministrations will fall as a blow hard to be borne, especially by the poor, among whom she did much good." During the war Dr Cruikshank carried on Dr Barclay's practice as well as her own.

"Widespread regret has been expressed upon the death of Mr George Cruickshank, of “Riverbank,” Shag Valley, at the age of 74 years. He came to New Zealand from Australia in 1863, and was one of those who did not make a fortune at the Dunstan diggings. Then he settled at Shag Valley. In 1881 he was appointed road engineer for the Waihemo County, and retained that position till April, 1910. In 1872 Mr Cruickshank married Miss Margaret Taggart, of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, who died in 1883, leaving a family of seven young children. Of this family, the elder son, Douglas, died in 1898, and the surviving son, James, is engaged in farming at Otama, Southland. Of the daughters, the eldest are twins, one being Dr Margaret Cruickshank, of Waimate, and the other Miss Christina Cruickshank, principal of Wanganui College (formerly of the Invercargill Girls’ High School). The educational career of these two was remarkable. The other daughters are Mrs Philips, wife of Dr Philips, of Kumara; Mrs John Steel (Ngapara); and Sister Isabel Cruickshank, late of Dunedin Hospital staff."
- Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 186, 12 January 1912

Mr. George Cruickshank, who died recently at Shag Valley, Qtago, at the age of 74 years, came to New Zealand from Australia in 1863, and after working at the Dunstan diggings, settled at Shag Valley. In 1881 he was appointed road engineer for the Waihemo County, and retained that position till April, 1910. His daughters (the eldest being twins) are, Dr. Margaret Cruickshank, of Waimate; arid Miss Christina Cruickshank, principal of Wanganui Girls' College, whose education careers were remarkable; Mrs. Philips, wife of Dr. Philips, of Kumara; Mrs. John Steel, Ngapara; and Sister Isabel Cruickshank, late of Dunedin Hospital.
- WANGANUI CHRONICLE, ISSUE 12847, 12 JANUARY 1912

How many people in Timaru know that one of our country’s greatest pandemic heroes died just down the road and that her sister helped teach science to girls right here in town?

Why aren’t more of us taught about the Cruickshank twins? And how many other women teachers, nurses, caregivers have held this region together, quietly, with no headlines?

Next time you walk past Timaru Girls’ High School, think of Christina Cruickshank the twin who taught science before it was common for girls to learn it.

Next time you drive to Waimate, pause in Seddon Square, and read the inscription beneath Margaret’s statue: “Faithful Unto Death.”

Maybe the real legacy of Margaret and Christina isn’t the degrees or titles or even the marble. Maybe it’s the reminder that ordinary women — in times of crisis — become extraordinary. And that their stories live closer than we think.

Reflecting on what I have learned while doing a deep dive into the lives of the Cruickshank twins has been both eye opening and humbling. I noticed a pattern among many notable women from their era. Most of them were unmarried. At first, this struck me as a coincidence, but as I explored further, I realised it was often not by choice. Teaching and medical roles for women came with strict rules.

Pamela Gibson from Timaru Girls’ High School kindly shared a set of early 1900s teacher rules with me. I was genuinely surprised to learn that women were not allowed to marry if they wanted to keep their jobs. The social and moral expectations placed on women were incredibly rigid.

I looked into the reasons why, and it became clear that many in kiwi society believed marriage and motherhood were private, domestic roles that clashed with the public image of female teachers. Married women were often expected to leave their jobs so single women, who were assumed to need the income more, could take their place. If a woman’s husband worked, she was seen as having a double income and therefore not entitled to her job. These marriage bars were official policies, and they were not lifted in New Zealand until 1948.

When you see how restricted women’s choices were, it makes sense that leaders like the Margaret and Christinia Cruickshank and Kate Sheppard pushed for a moral and political awakening. To me, disrupting these ideas was not just social activism, but a necessary act of reclaiming personhood and dignity.

Learning about all this made me pause. I often take for granted that I have choices. I can study, work, travel, have a family or not, and no one questions my right to do so. For Margaret and Christina, choices were fewer and the path to any kind of fulfilment came with sacrifice. They lived under rules that restricted personal freedom and yet they achieved so much. Their determination helped create the world I now live in.

It has also made me reflect on how quickly we sometimes judge people from earlier generations for holding views that seem outdated today. I realise those views often came from the circumstances people were born into. While it is right to challenge harmful beliefs, I now see more value in approaching them with empathy and curiosity rather than dismissal.

I have also found myself wondering whether I expect too much from myself. As a woman today, I have more freedom than ever, but I also feel the pressure to do it all. Career, family, purpose and balance. Maybe we cannot have everything all at once, and maybe that is not the goal. The twins’ lives have made me reconsider what fulfilment really looks like. They gave everything to their work, and though they never had families of their own, they seemed to live with deep purpose. Perhaps that is what having it all truly means. Doing what matters most, with integrity and love.

Their story has helped me reflect on what matters to me, how I define success, and how I carry forward the opportunities they helped make possible.

RULES FOR TEACHERS IN 1915

1. You will NOT marry during the term of your contract.

2. You are NOT to keep company with men.

3. You must be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m unless attending a school function.

4. You may NOT loiter down town in ice-cream parlours.

5. You may NOT travel beyond the city limits without the permission of the Chairman of the Board.

6. You may NOT ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your Father or Brother.

7. You may NOT smoke cigarettes.

8. You may NOT dress in bright colours.

9. You may, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, dye your hair.

10. You must wear AT LEAST two petticoats and your dresses must NOT be any shorter than 2” above the ankles.

11. To keep the school room clean you must

– sweep the floor at least once daily

– Scrub the floor with hot soapy water at least once a week.

- Clean the blackboard at least once a day.

- Start the fire at 7 a.m. so that the room will be warm by 8a.m.

Many later feminist writers and politicians have reflected on this. For example, Sonja Davies, a trade unionist and MP, later said: “We were expected to choose between love and work. That choice was not asked of men.”

Examples of men who challenged traditional views of gender and society and offered powerful intellectual frameworks for understanding and changing the roles imposed on women.

John Stuart Mill said, "The legal subordination of one sex to the other is wrong in itself, and now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement." — The Subjection of Women (1869). Mill believed that equality between the sexes was not only a matter of justice but also essential to the progress of society.

Simone de Beauvoir said, "One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman."— The Second Sex (1949) De Beauvoir argued that femininity is constructed by social expectations rather than innate biology, and that women must reclaim agency over their identities.

John Hall (1824–1907) A former Premier and Member of Parliament from Canterbury. A committed supporter of women’s suffrage who introduced the 1893 Electoral Bill. Worked closely with Kate Sheppard and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). “I trust that in the future the influence of women will be thrown on the side of peace and good order.” — Sir John Hall, 1893

Robert Stout (1844–1930) Premier and later Chief Justice of New Zealand. A liberal thinker and early supporter of gender equality. Supported female education and believed women should have a voice in national matters. “It is the right of every adult to have a say in making the laws they must obey.”— Attributed to Robert Stout, during suffrage debates

William Fox and Julius Vogel. Earlier political leaders who proposed female suffrage in the 1870s and 1880s, though unsuccessfully. Vogel also advocated for women’s rights as part of broader social reform.

When the Electoral Act 1893 was passed, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

Governor Lord Glasgow signed the bill into law on 19 September 1893. A famous quote from that moment came from Richard Seddon, Premier at the time, who had opposed women’s suffrage but was forced to let the bill pass when two Upper House members changed their votes: “The cats are out of the bag.” — Richard Seddon, realising he had lost control of the vote. It was not a celebratory quote, but it became infamous as a symbol of how the suffrage movement succeeded despite political resistance.

Timaru, New Zealand, circa 1910, Timaru, by William Ferrier, F.W. Hutton & Co. Gift of Lord Kitchener, 1960. Te Papa (AL.000566)

Timaru Girls High School Tartin

Timaru Girls High School Crest. “Scientia Potestas Est” is attributed to Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626), an English philosopher and statesman who laid the groundwork for the scientific method. He believed that understanding the natural world and gathering knowledge was the surest path to progress and human advancement. 

As a former student of Timaru Girls’ High School, I often reflect on the deep meaning behind its motto Knowledge is Power. At the time, I may not have fully appreciated it, but now I see it as a bold and visionary commitment to the education of young women. Founded in 1880, during a period when secondary education for girls was still gaining ground in New Zealand, the school stood for more than just academic success. It stood for opportunity, equality and the belief that learning could shape not only minds but lives.

The school helped open doors to subjects like science, languages and the arts, which were not always accessible to girls in that era. It created space for girls to grow into thinkers, leaders and changemakers. Reading about Christina Cruickshank, who once taught science at the school and went on to lead Wanganui Girls’ College, I feel proud to be connected to that legacy. Her sister, Dr Margaret Cruickshank, used her education to serve her community as one of New Zealand’s earliest female doctors, showing just how far the power of knowledge can reach.

Timaru Girls’ High School symbolised more than a place to learn. It became a place that believed in the potential of girls, even when society was uncertain about their place in the world. The motto still resonates with me. It reminds me that learning is not only about books or exams but about building confidence, making a difference and using what we know to help shape the future. Education gave me strength, direction and pride. I carry that forward with gratitude.

Photograph of the first page of the Timaru Girls High School enrollment book The first student has her name crossed out, appears she only went to school for one day. It is amazing to think about all the young women who have passed through the school gates over the year, and how their lives have been impacted by the teachers who taught there. 

Thank you to the Timaru Girls High School archives for sharing fantastic information.

View of Timaru Girls' High School from above in 1955 (09 Apr 1955). Aoraki Heritage Collection, accessed 23/06/2025, https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1731

Emily Hancock Siedeberg McKinnon (1873–1968) was New Zealand’s first female medical graduate and a pioneering figure in women’s healthcare.

Born in Clyde to a German Jewish father and an Irish Quaker mother, she showed early academic promise and attended Otago Girls’ High School on a scholarship. In 1891, she was accepted into the University of Otago Medical School, despite initial opposition, and in 1896 she became the first woman in the country to complete a medical degree.

After graduating, Dr Siedeberg briefly worked as a locum at Seacliff Asylum before travelling overseas to undertake postgraduate studies in obstetrics and gynaecology. She studied in Dublin, Berlin, and later in Edinburgh, before returning to Dunedin in 1898 to establish a private practice. In 1905, she was appointed medical superintendent of St Helen’s Maternity Hospital in Dunedin, a position she held until 1938. In 1918, she opened New Zealand’s first antenatal clinic, paving the way for more structured maternal care.

Beyond her clinical work, Emily was a tireless advocate for women's and children’s health and welfare. She was a founding member of the New Zealand Medical Women’s Association and was involved in many community organisations, including the Plunket Society and the National Council of Women. Her contributions to public health and social reform were recognised in 1949 when she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Emily married James McKinnon in 1928. Although she reduced her public work in later years, she remained a respected and influential figure. She died in Oamaru in 1968 at the age of 95. Her legacy lives on in the institutions she helped build, the women she inspired, and in places named in her honour, such as Siedeberg Drive in Dunedin. Her former home is now protected as a Category One historic place, a lasting tribute to a woman who changed the landscape of medicine in New Zealand.

Margaret Cruickshank followed her school friend Emily Siedeberg into the University of Otago Medical School, enrolling in 1892 just a year after Emily, and becoming the second woman to qualify in medicine in New Zealand. The two remained connected throughout their professional lives—Emily even spoke at the unveiling of Margaret’s memorial statue in Waimate in 1923 as a representative of the New Zealand Medical Women’s Association.

Emily was invited to speak at the unveiling of Cruickshank’s statue in Waimate on 25 July 1923. Representing the New Zealand Medical Women’s Association, she delivered a tribute and presented a laurel wreath, a gesture arranged by the Association earlier that year. Siedeberg spoke as an old friend, and former classmate, as well as a professional peer, honouring Margaret’s pioneering spirit and dedication in front of a large gathering that included local dignitaries and community members. She honoured Dr Cruickshank as a trailblazing professional whose dedication had earned her the affection of her community. She made a point that this memorial was especially significant as “the first ever erected to the memory of a doctor”, highlighting the rarity and prestige of such recognition for medical service.

Single-sex schools in New Zealand exist largely due to historical traditions influenced by British education models, where boys and girls were educated separately. Many were established from the 1850s onwards and continue today as state-integrated or independent institutions. Supporters believe single-sex education can reduce gender stereotyping, improve focus, and build confidence, especially among girls. These schools remain popular in urban areas due to strong academic reputations, community support, and parental choice, although co-educational models are becoming more common in smaller regions.

Timaru Girls High School is one of two single sex girls’ schools in South Canterbury, the other one is Craighead.

Craighead is a state-integrated Anglican day and boarding school in Highfield, Timaru. It was founded in 1911 by four sisters from Dunedin, Eleanor, Fanny, Elizabeth and Anna Shand, who purchased a property named Craighead in 1910. Originally a private school, Craighead became part of the public education system in 1981 under the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act, retaining its Anglican character while receiving government funding. As a state-integrated school, its day-to-day operations are publicly funded, while the Anglican Church, as the school’s proprietor, still owns the land and buildings. Parents pay attendance dues, which go to the Anglican Church solely for maintaining and developing the school’s property.

The house, originally built in 1875 by local surveyor Edward Sealy (1839–1903), was renamed in 1890 by owner Henry Le Cren (1828–1895) after his brother-in-law’s Scottish castle. Daughters of Presbyterian minister Reverend John Shand and granddaughters of missionary Reverend William Shand, the sisters brought with them a strong sense of educational purpose and religious commitment. They opened Craighead School with six boarders and 11 day girls, aiming to provide a liberal education on modern lines to develop character, intellect and artistic ability. From 1911 to 1926, they lived and worked on site, teaching and managing the school themselves, which was a rare example of an entirely female-led private school at the time. In 1926, the Anglican Church formally took over the governance of the school. By its centenary in 2011, Craighead had grown to a roll of 380 students.

Waitaki Girls’ High School (Oamaru) was founded as a girls-only school in 1887 with no formal religious affiliation

There are no single sex schools in Ashburton, the options today are Ashburton College, Mount Hutt College (Methven) and Ashburton Christian School

In Christchurch:

Rangi Ruru Girls’ School is a private girls’ day and boarding school for Years 7 to 13. Founded in 1889 by Helen Gibson; moved to current Merivale site in 1923. No formal religious affiliation

Villa Maria College is a state-integrated Catholic girls’ school for Years 7 to 13, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1918.

Marian College is a state-integrated Catholic girls’ secondary school for Years 9 to 13, founded 1982 from the merger of St Mary's College (1893) and McKillop College (1949).

Christchurch Girls’ High School is a state secondary school for girls in Years 9 to 13, established in 1877 it is the second oldest girls’ high school in NZ.

Before the 1800s in England, monasteries and convents were among the earliest and most consistent providers of education, as they were across much of medieval Europe. Although their primary focus was religious instruction, they laid important foundations for literacy, learning, and the later development of formal schooling. Monasteries mainly educated boys and young men, especially those preparing for religious life, offering teaching in Latin, scripture, and religious music. Some also provided basic literacy to local boys. Monks played a vital role in preserving knowledge by copying manuscripts, and religious orders such as the Benedictines placed a strong emphasis on study. Convents offered education for girls, particularly those from noble families, with instruction in reading, writing, religion, and practical household skills.

From the Middle Ages, grammar schools were established to educate boys in Latin, theology, and classical subjects. These schools were often attached to cathedrals or founded by charitable trusts and catered mostly to the sons of the elite. Formal education for girls was rare. Most girls learned domestic skills at home, and literacy was not widely expected or required. A few girls from wealthier families were tutored privately, but secondary education was not institutionalised for them. Formal education for girls was rare. Most girls learned domestic skills at home, and literacy was not widely expected or required. A few girls from wealthier families were tutored privately, but secondary education was not institutionalised for them. Cheltenham Ladies’ College (founded 1853) and North London Collegiate School (1850) were among the first academic schools for girls The Girls' Public Day School Company (founded 1872) established secondary schools for middle-class girls across Britain. These offered academic subjects like maths and science, not just embroidery or French.

It was not just Britain that held limited views on girls’ education. In the 1800s and early 1900s, many countries offered little or no formal secondary education for girls. In France, girls were first able to attend secondary school from 1883, although their curriculum was often less academic than that of boys designed to reflect traditional gender roles. Founded by the French government as the first lycée for girls, Lycée Fénelon was created to prepare young women for the entrance examination to the École normale supérieure, the elite institution for training teachers. In the United States, co-education was more common, and high schools for girls developed from around 1820, especially in northern states. In Germany and Japan, education for girls focused mainly on domestic training until changes began after 1870. In colonised regions such as India and much of Africa, girls had very limited access to schooling, often through missionary efforts beginning in the 1840s. Across the world, campaigners gradually pushed for change, but widespread access to proper secondary education for girls did not begin in most places until after 1945.

Before the 1800s, education in China was deeply influenced by Confucian philosophy and focused on preparing boys for the imperial examination system, which selected officials for government service. Schooling was primarily for boys from elite or scholarly families, who studied Classical Chinese texts, calligraphy, history, and moral conduct. These studies were centred on Confucian ideals such as obedience, filial piety, and social harmony. Confucian philosophy emphasised respect for elders, loyalty to family, moral behaviour, education, and the importance of social order, but it was strongly male-focused. It taught that men should act with kindness, honesty, and wisdom, and fulfil their roles in key relationships such as those between parent and child or ruler and subject. There were no monasteries or convent-style institutions as in Europe. Instead, private tutors, village schools, and government academies provided instruction, with the goal of advancing through the examination ranks. Monastic Buddhist and Daoist institutions also existed, but they were not widespread providers of general education for the public. Girls were rarely educated formally, although some girls from wealthy families might learn to read and write at home. Their education, if any, focused on domestic skills and moral behaviour.

It has been interesting reading about these centuries old values and wondering if they are still relevant today. I think values were historically used to justify inequality or restrict women's freedom. And there is a risk of romanticising the past, because at the end of the day, women were not treated equally. It seems to me that women were oppressed and often silenced within unequal systems. These ideas go back thousands of years when in Athens women had no political rights, the role was at home raising children. There was a glimmer of hope in Roman times, and some women managed businesses or estates, but still had not formal political rights. Formal education was designed for elite boys, aiming to produce future leaders and citizens, and its been that way for a very long time.

I believe that values like humility, self-discipline and respect still matter. They do not have to define us, but they can offer something constant and meaningful to help build character and strengthen relationships, and they remind us to act with care, integrity, respect and responsibility. We can do this together through a collective and spiritual lens, deeply connected to their people and place, and life itself. While Confucian or European systems often placed women under the authority of men, we can now breathe, and there is room in our cultures to be who we choose.

Reading about the roles of women in ancient societies like Greece and Rome, I find myself wondering: what are the lasting effects of these histories? How much of this have we carried forward, perhaps without even realising it? Could the pressure women feel today to be successful, nurturing, morally upright and self-sacrificing have its roots in centuries of limited roles and expectations? Is the constant balancing act between traditional values and modern freedoms part of why so many women feel overwhelmed, anxious or never quite enough?

What happens when women are still talked over or dismissed, even now that we have the right to speak? Does the silence that was once forced on women still linger in our daily lives? And what about the pressure to do everything and to be everything... is that truly freedom, or just a different kind of burden? I wonder if some of the anxiety and depression women experience today is not only personal, but also historical. What would it mean to recognise that, and to begin healing from it?

Women today are not limited by traditional values. We are empowered. We can be leaders, carers, creatives, entrepreneurs, or even all of these at once. The beauty of today is that we can honour traditions while also living a life shaped by choice, equality and individuality. Looking at values through different cultural lenses helps us see what to carry forward and what to challenge.

Primary Sources

• "Margaret Barnett Cruickshank Biography." Early Medical Women of New Zealand, University of Auckland.

• NZHistory – Margaret Cruickshank. Dux at Otago Girls’ High School and entry into Otago Medical School.

• Doctors – NZHistory keyword index. First registered female doctor in New Zealand (3 May 1897).

• DigitalNZ Collections. Stories about Margaret Cruickshank. Partnership with Dr Barclay and community involvement.

• NZ Herald Trailblazers – Margaret Cruickshank. Awarded MD in 1903.

• Otago Daily Times. "Heroic woman doctor succumbed to flu." Leadership during WWI and 1918 pandemic.

• The Press (22 November 1922). Legal judgment in arbitration case between Christina Cruickshank and Dr Barclay.

• Evening Post (25 November 1922). Mortgagee sale listing involving Christina Cruickshank, Wainuiomata.

• Wanganui Chronicle (6 Sept 1910, Issue 12602). Christina Cruickshank’s teaching record and leadership qualities.

• Manawatu Standard (21 Nov 1939, Vol. LIX, Issue 300). Obituary of Christina Murray Cruickshank.

• Otago Daily Times (21 Nov 1939, Issue 23971). Christina Cruickshank's career and influence.

• Timaru Herald (21 Nov 1939, Vol. CXLVII, Issue 21507). Funeral report for Christina Cruickshank.

• Taranaki Daily News (12 Jan 1912, Vol. LIV, Issue 186). George Cruickshank obituary.

Secondary Sources

• NZHistory and Early Med Women. European study trip and community fundraising; Waimate Hospital ward naming (1948); Exercise Cruickshank pandemic simulation (2007).

• Royal Society Te Apārangi. Christina Cruickshank profile: “150 Women in 150 Words.”

• Creese, Mary R.S. and Thomas Creese. Ladies in the Laboratory III: South African, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian Women in Science. Scarecrow Press, 2010. pp. 102–103.

• William Trethewey sculpture. Statue of Dr Cruickshank (1923), documented by NZHistory and local council archives.

• Papers Past. Historical newspaper archives used for obituaries, memorial coverage, and public record verification.

Philosophical and Political Context

• John Stuart Mill. The Subjection of Women (1869). "The legal subordination of one sex to the other is wrong in itself."

• Simone de Beauvoir. The Second Sex (1949). "One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman."

• Sir John Hall. Parliamentary advocate of the 1893 Electoral Bill. "I trust that in the future the influence of women will be thrown on the side of peace and good order."

• Robert Stout. NZ Parliamentary Debates (1893). "It is the right of every adult to have a say in making the laws they must obey."

• Richard Seddon. Premier of NZ during suffrage vote. "The cats are out of the bag." (upon losing control of the Upper House vote in 1893). Documented in The Women’s Suffrage Petition: Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine (Ministry for Culture and Heritage).

Additional Sources

• Ministry of Education (NZ). Historical documents relating to marriage bars in teaching. See: Official records and education policy summaries (1900–1950).

• Pamela Gibson, Timaru Girls’ High School. Shared 1915 Teacher Rules (informal citation).

Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1886: Anandibai Joshee from India (left) with Kei Okami from Japan (center) and Sabat Islambooly from Syria (right). All three completed their medical studies and each of them was the first woman from their respective countries to obtain a degree in Western medicine..  drexel.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/a991015136504704721, Public Domain

Old Girl Roselyn Fauth in the Archives Room learning about her schools history.

1920-1929-Timaru Boys High School - Auckland Council Libraries - photos_386946