In 2025 I panicked. I realised that ten years of Facebook posts could be lost, so I started rewriting my old posts as blogs on our website WuHoo Timaru.
As you can imagine, I got side tracked, went down rabbit holes, with lots of questions on why things happened and how. After I had written about 100 blogs on fun places to go and how to make them memorable, I realised hardly any of my blogs included women. It wasn't on purpose, I just kinda happened. So I set about to change the balance and bring more of the women's stories out from the margins and onto the website page. It hasn't been easy. Some stories were easy to find, others well... literally took me a year to search, unravel and learn.
Across New Zealand, and here in Timaru, women’s lives were often recorded in fragments. Often a women was just referred to as a mans wife, a relationship instead of an identity. their lives were side quests in a write up about a man's, they may have got a sentence or two in a history book, and sometimes their story wasn't recorded at all. Their work was domestic, unpaid, emotional, or assumed. Important, but invisible.
After all my history hunting, I have written up quite a few blogs on the women that others have researched and that I have learned about. Now with quite a few stories found, a few people have said they would like to wander the cemetery with me and hear what I learned, so I thought I could share these women's stories with you as a tour at Timaru's cemetery.
Would you like to join me for about an hours stroll, visit some graves, and learn about the women who are memorialised there?
Just flick me an email if you are interested: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Join me on Thusday 29th Janaury at 6:30pm at the Timaru Cemetery.
You must book in advance so I don't have heart pulpertations that no one will show up, and also to make sure we limit the size of the group.
I reckon 10-15 is a good number. Please make your donation before attending the tour.
The goal is to fundraise for the Aoraki Womens Fund. I want everyone to feel welcome and included so I don't want to set the price. In saying that my personal goal is to raise $1000. (You can claim 33% back by uploading your Aoraki Womens Fund donation receipt to the IRD website, where they will put the $33 refund back into your account the following day. So, $100 donation will cost you $67.)
What these tours are about
WuHoo Timaru Cemetery Tours are guided, small-group walks through Timaru Cemetery.
This tour focus on some of the lives of women who rest there.
The women I have chosen to remember are not necessarily the famous, first, most or best, but more a selection of women whose stories are interesting, and I think could help us learn a lot from.
Each tour is shaped by a years research that kicked off during covid lock downs, I am so grateful to those who have taught me how to hunt for history and who have helped me dig through archives, reports, wills, diaries, and books. Even with this information, I needed to understand some key laws, and read between the lines of historical records to make a fair assumption of someones story. Some are detailed. Others are incomplete. And with your own lived experience you may interpret them differently. That I think will be part of the experience.
I have also had wonderful conversations with descendants that helped me reframe how I share the memory of people respectfully, because not all of these stories are comfortable.
For me, this is not just a history tour. It is an act of recovery of women's stories.
By learning how difficult it can be to uncover women’s lives in the past, we begin to understand why women still need advocacy today. The silences in the records mirror the inequities that persist in the present.
Standing at these graves, hearing these stories, we are reminded that women have always shaped families, communities, and places, even when history failed to record them properly.
Learning about women of the past helps us better understand ourselves, where we come from, and what kind of future we want to advocate for.
What to expect
- Each tour runs for approximately one hour and includes:
- A guided walk through selected areas of Timaru Cemetery.
- Stories of women from different eras and backgrounds.
- Insight into how these stories were researched and uncovered.
- Honest acknowledgement of what we know, and what we do not.
- Space for reflection, conversation, and connection.
- Group numbers are kept intentionally small to allow for a more personal and thoughtful experience.
These tours are for people who:
- Are curious about local history beyond the usual narratives.
- Care about women’s lives, past and present.
- Enjoy thoughtful, reflective experiences.
- Want to support meaningful community causes.
- Believe stories can change how we see the world.
You do not need prior knowledge. Just curiosity and comfortable walking shoes.
This is tour with purpose, I want to make these women's stories meaningful in a few ways.
These tours are researched and guided by me, Roselyn Fauth a volunteer and co-founder of WuHoo Timaru.
I am a love story telling, researching and now advocating for women’s history.
In 2025 I was awarded South Canterbury Women of Year, by the Aoraki Womens Fund. As a result I was invited to guest speak to many groups over the year. Figuring out what to say, took some soul searching and reflection, and if I am honest with you, I had been so busy in the present and planning for the future, that I hadn't take much time to take stock of my journey so far. It was by learning about women's history that I started to gain context of where I come from and who I am today, what matters to me, what helped me get to where I am, and what has stood in my way. The recognition of this award and prompt to reflect has been life changing, and I am keen to pay it forward to the organisation and support their causes and fundraising for girls and women.
I am happy to share my time and my learning for this cause for free.
And in return I ask for your support to my women's fund fundraiser.
As well as raising funds for them, by remembering women of the past, joining our tour will directly support women in the present, helping create stronger, more equitable futures for generations to come. I think this can help make a real impact.
What the women of our past have taught me, is that I do not need to be wealthy to create impact. I don't need to be a tsunami. My small, regular contributions will make larger ripples when combined.
So think of this as a remembrance fundraiser for women that will make an impact.
The value here is not the length of the walk.
It’s the research, the storytelling, the intimacy, and the impact. Remember that your donation will be tax deductible, so if you donate $100, you will be able to claim 33% back by uploading your receipt to the IRD website, where they will put the $33 refund back into your account the following day. I don't want to exclude people from coming, so rather than setting a ticket price, I will leave it up to you to choose what you give.
My goal is to create a $1,200 legacy for women, will you join me?
I’m inviting 12 people to walk with me through the Timaru Cemetery and each make a $100 legacy contribution to the Aoraki Women’s Fund. Some may be able to give more, others less.. I am hoping it will swing in roundabouts to help reach the goal.
In just one hour, we can turn shared stories of women from the past into a $1,200 investment that will keep growing and supporting women and girls in South Canterbury for generations.
Maybe your employer might like to shout you a ticket?
This experience can be easily sponsored by your employer as a form of professional development, wellbeing, or equity-focused learning. The guided cemetery walk offers reflective leadership insight, deepens understanding of women’s visibility and advocacy, and supports gender equity in a locally grounded, meaningful way. Your employer’s sponsorship also becomes a direct contribution to the Aoraki Women’s Fund, creating measurable, long-term impact for women and girls in South Canterbury. It’s a thoughtful, values-led way for workplaces to invest in their people and their community at the same time.
If you value meaningful experiences, thoughtful storytelling, and real-world impact, this walk is for you.
To take part:
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to secure one of the 12 places
Make your contribution to the Women’s Fund here: https://www.aorakifoundation.org.nz/womens-fund
How the Aoraki Women’s Fund works...
The Aoraki Women’s Fund sits under the Aoraki Foundation, South Canterbury’s community foundation. This means donations are professionally pooled, invested, and stewarded for long-term community benefit rather than spent once and gone.
Contributions to the Women’s Fund are added to a growing endowment. That endowment is invested, with returns used in two ways:
- Annual grants are made to support women and girls in South Canterbury today
- The capital continues to grow, ensuring the fund can support future generations as well
This is the power of compounding. A gift made once can create impact year after year.
The Women’s Fund has already grown to over $70,000 and our goal is to grow the fund to $100k this year. we can do this by fundraising, and receiving donations.
If 100 people give $25 per month, the fund could grow to approximately $435,000 in 10 years
At that level, annual distributions could provide around $17,000 per year in grants while the fund continues to grow.
We have also received commitments of bequests for a long term goal.
Before we know it, the fund will reach a $1 million endowment. This exciting target will create a permanent, locally controlled and regular funding stream specifically for women and girls in South Canterbury.
By supporting the Aoraki Women’s Fund through these cemetery tours, you are helping transform one-off generosity into lasting impact.
It is a practical, measurable way to turn advocacy into action.
Quick wins so far
What I love about the Aoraki Women's Fund, are the quick wins along the way to the big goal. A permanent Women’s Fund now exists under the Aoraki Foundation, ensuring support for women and girls is long-term, not one-off.
- Over $70,000 has already been secured and is actively compounding for future grants in South Canterbury.
- We now have regular givers, turning small monthly donations into lasting collective impact.
- We have a clear pathway to annual grants is in place, with transparent goals and governance.
- Women-focused philanthropy is visible and growing in South Canterbury, creating momentum for advocacy and change.
- Every contribution made so far continues to work, generating impact year after year.
So... you can see why I am so passionate, and keen to get stuck in and support where I can.
Who has benefited from the Aoraki Women’s Fund so far
Through its Impact Events and community giving, the Aoraki Women’s Fund has already supported a range of organisations working directly with women and girls in South Canterbury. Ths is on top of its Women of the Year events, which instead of a fundraising focus, the night uplifts and empowers women by bringing guest speakers to the floor, and recognising local women's impact.
2025 Impact Event – $10,000 raised on the night and distributed
- Pinc & Steel – $3,750 Supporting cancer rehabilitation so women can regain quality of life beyond treatment.
- Thrive for Life – $3,750 Providing leadership experiences and confidence-building opportunities for Year 13 girls.
- Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust – $2,500 Supporting women as they transition to independence, safety, and freedom.
2024 Impact Event – $7,500 raised on the night and distributed
- Cancer Society – Wigs for Women – $2,412 Helping women maintain dignity and confidence during cancer treatment.
- Refugee Settlement Support – Driving Lessons – $2,853 Enabling women to gain independence, access work, and participate fully in community life.
- Family Works – Women’s Self-Care Group – $2,235 Supporting women’s mental health, wellbeing, and connection during challenging times.
2023 Impact Event – $10,000 raised on the night and distributed
- Project Period – $2,000 Addressing period poverty for women and girls.
- PNAP (Postnatal Adjustment Programme) – $2,000 Supporting mothers experiencing postnatal mental health challenges.
- Family Works – $1,807 Providing practical and emotional support for women and families.
- Pinc & Steel – $1,518 Supporting women undergoing cancer recovery.
- Women’s Refuge – $2,675 Supporting women and children experiencing family violence. Plus an additional $5,000 anonymous donation to Women’s Refuge.
Upcoming tours
Cemetery tours are offered on selected dates throughout the year, with some sessions run as special fundraisers. If you can find a group of 6 or more I can meet you and show you around.
To register interest, book a place, or enquire about a private or fundraising tour, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
You can make your contribution to my fundraiser here: https://www.aorakifoundation.org.nz/womens-fund