In front of the South Canterbury Museum and Perth Street, diagonally across from the Timaru Council Buildings, is the beautiful Kate Sheppard Memorial Garden. There is also a lovely camelia name for her in the garden. Photography By Roselyn Fauth 2021
Next time you walk through central Timaru, step off Perth Street and explore the peaceful space beside the South Canterbury Museum. You’ll find the Kate Sheppard Memorial Garden... a living tribute planted in white and purple in 1993 to celebrate 100 years since New Zealand women won the right to vote.
The people of Timaru created and gifted this garden to mark that historic milestone. Follow the paths and you’ll see purple and white flowers blooming in tribute to the suffrage movement’s colours. Look for the Kate Sheppard camellia, planted alongside white iceberg roses and lavender. A copper beech now rises near the centre, and curved Timaru bluestone walls frame the space...
Dame Miriam Dell, a national and international leader for women’s rights, opened the garden. She campaigned for equality for over 30 years and led global conversations on women’s advancement. Her presence here connects generations of changemakers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Dell
In 2018, South Canterbury celebrated 125 years of women’s suffrage with a public re-enactment, museum display, and ceremonial planting of the Kate Sheppard camellia. The event was led by the National Council of Women South Canterbury and Zonta. The Timaru District Library joined in with a special exhibit honouring local suffragists and their legacy.
Want to see more? Pop into the South Canterbury Museum and check out their ongoing display on women’s suffrage. Explore local stories, objects, and archival material that bring this powerful movement to life.
New Zealand made history in 1893 by becoming the first country in the world to grant all adult women the right to vote. That achievement came from decades of determination. Women like Kate Sheppard, Mary Ann Müller, and members of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union didn’t sit back. They campaigned. They published. They collected over 30,000 signatures. Kate Sheppard’s pamphlet “Ten Reasons Why the Women of New Zealand Should Vote” went to every Member of Parliament.
The suffrage movement was never just about voting... it was about shaping a fairer future.
Explore the petition and see if your ancestors signed it: https://www.archives.govt.nz/dis.../womens-suffrage-petition
Learn more about Kate Sheppard and the campaign for the vote: https://tohuwhenua.nz/katesheppard
Visit Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House: Her family home in Ōtautahi Christchurch became the headquarters of the suffrage movement. It now tells the story of the struggle for equality and the women who made it happen. So next time you pass the garden, take a moment. Pause at the bench. Notice the flowers. And remember the women who gave their small signature to make a huge impact and powerful change for women's voices to be recognised and heard.
Explore Timaru. Hunt for History. Find Free Fun. That’s WuHoo Timaru.
Suffragist Movement in New Zealand
- Married women didn’t have control over property that they had brought to their marriage.
- Had to prove aggravated adultery if they wanted a divorce – husbands only had to prove adultery.
- 1875 – Women ratepayers were able to vote in local body elections.
- 1877 – Women were able to stand for school committees and take part in the election of these committees.
- 1869 – Women in Wyoming give franchise.
New Zealand had two houses of Parliament (up to 1851)
- House of Representatives – men elected at general elections
- Upper House (Legislative Council) – men appointed by government – government appointed men who supported the government electoral programme.
- 1869 – John Stuart Mill published The Subjection of Women – argued for equality between men and women and both should be able to vote. This essay influenced several of the Members of House of Representatives, e.g. Robert Stout, Sir John Hall, Alfred Saunders, Julius Vogel.
- 1879 – All Maori men over 21 were granted the right to vote.
- 1869 – Mary Ann Muller (Blenheim) wrote in Nelson Examiner under pseudonym “Femina”.
- 1877 – Kate Edger first woman university graduate – B.A. – then gained M.A. Late 1880s – Leading figure in Women’s Christian Temperance Union – often held up as an example of an educated woman unable to vote, when the least literate of men were able to vote.
- 1880/1881 – Women’s Franchise Bill failed – showed that to achieve suffrage women needed to organize and demonstrate that they were eager to vote.
From Temperance to Suffrage
Women’s Christian Temperance Union believed that women voters would exercise a moral and reforming influence on laws passed in Parliament. WCTU wanted total abstinence of narcotic poisons, to outlaw traffic in alcohol, opium, tobacco, impurity and suppress gambling law and wanted enfranchisement of all women. WCTU saw violence as a result of drunkenness being a key problem – if women had the vote they could work to limit alcohol consumption. Anne Ward took up a leadership role in WCTU and helped establish unions around the country.
- 1879 – In USA Frances Willard elected WCTU president and she broadened interests from temperance to almost anything that touched women’s lives.
- 1870s – Women Templars established – women able to chair meetings and speak at public meetings – good grounding for them for temperance. WCTU arranged itself into departments, e.g. prison work, evangelism, temperance, franchise.
- 1887 – Kate Sheppard (founding member of Christchurch WCTU) became National Superintendent of New Zealand Franchise and Legislation Department. Kate Sheppard had a good working relationship with Sir John Hall (pro-suffrage) – he was willing to be an advocate in parliament. Hall told Kate Sheppard that women had to demonstrate that they wanted to vote.
- 1890 – Hall introduced Women’s Franchise Bill to the House – lapsed.
Kate Sheppard produced a pamphlet Ten Reasons Why the Women of New Zealand Should Vote and sent it to every Member of Parliament. Sheppard wrote many articles in different publications – a page in The Prohibitionist, which had a circulation of 20,000, so was an excellent way of publicizing the campaign.