{"id":317504,"date":"2021-09-19T11:03:07","date_gmt":"2021-09-19T11:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=63732"},"modified":"2021-09-19T11:03:07","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T11:03:07","slug":"on-the-money-kate-sheppard-and-the-making-of-a-nz-feminist-icon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/09\/19\/on-the-money-kate-sheppard-and-the-making-of-a-nz-feminist-icon\/","title":{"rendered":"On the money: Kate Sheppard and the making of a NZ feminist icon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>ANALYSIS:<\/strong> <em>By <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/katie-pickles-547300\">Katie Pickles<\/a>,<\/em> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-canterbury-1004\">University of Canterbury<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>In 1992 four New Zealand icons (and the queen) appeared on new banknotes. Part of creating national identity, these notable citizens were chosen to represent the pinnacles of achievement.<\/p>\n<p>\u0100pirana Ngata, Edmund Hillary, Ernest Rutherford and Kate Sheppard &#8212; all in circulation so their acts and values can be admired, celebrated and emulated.<\/p>\n<p>Collectively, the banknote icons signalled a bicultural nation that celebrates M\u0101ori knowledge and success, a place where women are equal and where it is possible to lead the world, including in science and exploration.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-epicentre-of-womens-suffrage-kate-sheppards-christchurch-home-finally-opens-as-a-public-museum-151828\">READ MORE: <\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-epicentre-of-womens-suffrage-kate-sheppards-christchurch-home-finally-opens-as-a-public-museum-151828\">The &#8216;epicentre of women&#8217;s suffrage&#8217; \u2014 Kate Sheppard&#8217;s Christchurch home finally opens as a public museum<\/a><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/did-a-tragic-family-secret-influence-kate-sheppards-mission-to-give-new-zealand-women-the-vote-141526\">Did a tragic family secret influence Kate Sheppard&#8217;s mission to give New Zealand women the vote?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nz-was-first-to-grant-women-the-vote-in-1893-but-then-took-26-years-to-let-them-stand-for-parliament-123467\">NZ was first to grant women the vote in 1893, but then took 26 years to let them stand for parliament<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But while positioned on individual pedestals, these people were also part of citizenship-building that relied on team efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Ngata was one of many talented members of the Young M\u0101ori Party. Hillary didn\u2019t climb Mount Everest alone. And Rutherford\u2019s scientific breakthroughs resulted from collaborative work that stood \u201con the shoulders of giants\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421747\/original\/file-20210917-23-htheh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421747\/original\/file-20210917-23-htheh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=383&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421747\/original\/file-20210917-23-htheh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=383&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421747\/original\/file-20210917-23-htheh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=383&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421747\/original\/file-20210917-23-htheh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=481&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421747\/original\/file-20210917-23-htheh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=481&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421747\/original\/file-20210917-23-htheh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=481&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"Bronze sculpture showing Kate Sheppard and other suffrage leaders\" width=\"600\" height=\"383\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A detail from Margriet Windhausen\u2019s Kate Sheppard National Memorial, unveiled in Christchurch in 1993 by New Zealand\u2019s first female Governor-General, Dame Catherine Tizard. Image: <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Cast in bronze<br \/>\n<\/strong>So what of Kate Sheppard\u2019s position? A year after she graced the $10 note, she was put on another pedestal, literally. Unveiled in 1993, the national memorial provides a useful interpretation of the suffrage leader\u2019s place in the collaborative women\u2019s movement of the late 19th century.<\/p>\n<p>The memorial\u2019s Christchurch location, Sheppard\u2019s name in its title and her central position cast in bronze all recognise her leadership. But the monument also recognises how, after the victory, she brought together the networks that had formed during the suffrage campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Sheppard became the first president of the National Council of Women (NCW) in 1896, but flanking her in bronze are others central to the women\u2019s movement.<em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Meri Te Tai Mangak\u0101hia of Taitokerau requested the vote for women from the Kotahitanga Parliament. Amey Daldy was a leader of Auckland\u2019s Women\u2019s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and Franchise League. Ada Wells of Christchurch worked for equal educational opportunities for girls and women.<\/p>\n<p>Harriet Morison of Dunedin was an advocate for working-class women and active in the Tailoresses\u2019 Union. And Helen Nicol led the important women\u2019s franchise campaign in Dunedin.<\/p>\n<p>The monument also recognises the complex layers and themes of women\u2019s suffrage, including the place of men such as MP Sir John Hall who played a vital part in the suffrage victory. Seven other prominent suffragists are also named.<\/p>\n<p>Smaller panels depict generic women going about their daily lives, all part of the wider movement.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421764\/original\/file-20210917-21-he0oru.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421764\/original\/file-20210917-21-he0oru.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421764\/original\/file-20210917-21-he0oru.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421764\/original\/file-20210917-21-he0oru.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421764\/original\/file-20210917-21-he0oru.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421764\/original\/file-20210917-21-he0oru.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421764\/original\/file-20210917-21-he0oru.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"Kate Sheppard memorial\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The full Kate Sheppard memorial in Christchurch &#8230; layers of context and meaning. Image: <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>An archetypal heroine?<br \/>\n<\/strong>So what makes Sheppard so iconic? As well as her role in a world-first episode in New Zealand history, I would argue Sheppard embodies many of the characteristics common to modern heroines globally.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421749\/original\/file-20210917-15-u2a6ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421749\/original\/file-20210917-15-u2a6ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=749&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421749\/original\/file-20210917-15-u2a6ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=749&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421749\/original\/file-20210917-15-u2a6ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=749&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421749\/original\/file-20210917-15-u2a6ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=941&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421749\/original\/file-20210917-15-u2a6ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=941&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421749\/original\/file-20210917-15-u2a6ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=941&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"Kate Sheppard\" width=\"600\" height=\"749\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kate Sheppard &#8230; emblematic of a mother figure, specifically as a maternal feminist concerned with home, purity and well-being. Image: The Conversation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>She is emblematic of a mother figure, specifically as a maternal feminist concerned with home, purity and well-being. Metaphorically, her work involves giving birth to the nation.<\/p>\n<p>Accompanied by an image of the symbolic white camellia flower presented to pro-suffrage MPs, Sheppard\u2019s image on the banknote is part of her invention as a feminine, stylishly dressed, commanding figure.<\/p>\n<p>But there are other dynamics at work, too. Sheppard is sometimes framed as a reformer, called to work for a more peaceful and egalitarian society. But the 2015 punk-rock musical <em>That Bloody Woman<\/em> portrays her as a rebel warrior queen, fighting with bravery and determination.<\/p>\n<p>Intrigue in her private life also adds to Sheppard\u2019s appeal. Was her marriage to Walter Sheppard unhappy? They lived apart from 1905 until he died in 1915. Author Rachel McAlpine wrote a fictional account involving an extramarital affair and a love child.<\/p>\n<p>And what of the rumours surrounding Sheppard\u2019s friendship with William Lovell-Smith, who she married towards the end of her life after the death of his wife Jenny? Her private life hints at mystery and suggests a woman advancing new ways of co-habiting.<\/p>\n<p>There is also tragedy. Sheppard lost her only child, Douglas, in 1910, and outlived her nearest and dearest friends and relations, including her only grandchild.<\/p>\n<p>Sheppard\u2019s shape-shifting presence leaves room for us to create our own versions to augment all the writing she left revealing her beliefs and ideas. The Kate Sheppard Women\u2019s Bookshop aptly memorialises her, and her leadership is honoured through scholarships and awards.<\/p>\n<p>All this has helped keep her memory alive, especially with the feminists who have always claimed her as a heroine.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421752\/original\/file-20210917-25-184f5wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421752\/original\/file-20210917-25-184f5wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=397&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421752\/original\/file-20210917-25-184f5wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=397&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421752\/original\/file-20210917-25-184f5wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=397&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421752\/original\/file-20210917-25-184f5wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=499&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421752\/original\/file-20210917-25-184f5wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=499&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/421752\/original\/file-20210917-25-184f5wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=499&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"Princess Te Puea\" width=\"600\" height=\"397\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Princess Te Kirihaehae Te Puea Herangi as a girl. Image: Ref: 1\/2-005159-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Who else but Sheppard?<br \/>\n<\/strong>Sheppard is on the money, then, but who else might represent the heroic archetype? Waikato woman of mana and K\u012bngitanga leader Te Puea H\u0113rangi is surely one, described by historian J.G.A. Pocock as possibly the most influential woman in New Zealand\u2019s political history.<\/p>\n<p>Te Puea was also a mother figure. A literal healer, she nursed her people back to health \u2014 especially after the smallpox epidemic of 1913 and the devastating 1918 influenza epidemic that killed a quarter of the population at Mangat\u0101whiri, leaving many orphans to be cared for.<\/p>\n<p>Her motto is said to have been \u201cwork, eat, pray, work again\u201d. Te Puea was called to help her people and was dedicated to leading their resurgence.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, her efforts secured the K\u012bngitanga movement. Part of her legacy as the most active leader of her generation was the building of T\u016brangawaewae marae at Ng\u0101ruaw\u0101hia.<\/p>\n<p>Like Sheppard, Te Puea\u2019s health and welfare work included campaigns against alcohol and smoking. In the face of P\u0101keh\u0101 resistance she built an impressive health facility at T\u016brangawaewae. In 1951 she became the first patron of the M\u0101ori Women\u2019s Welfare League.<\/p>\n<p>Her activism included seeking compensation for land confiscation. An early peace warrior, she led a non-violent campaign against conscription during the First World War. Like Sheppard, she was part of an international network and well-connected around the Pacific.<\/p>\n<p>Also like Sheppard, Te Puea was strategic and collaborated with many men. She launched M\u0101ui P\u014dmare\u2019s political career and later collaborated with \u0100pirana Ngata.<\/p>\n<p>Well known in the P\u0101keh\u0101 world as Princess Te Puea, in 1937 she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.<\/p>\n<p>In many ways, of course, Christchurch and Ng\u0101ruaw\u0101hia were worlds apart. While both women challenged the state, Sheppard represented a mainstream P\u0101keh\u0101 establishment, whereas Te Puea pursued mana motuhake for her people.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, placed side by side and viewed through an early 21st-century lens, both are important heroines in history.<\/p>\n<p>Both stand for citizens working together for the common good. Kate Sheppard might be on the money to represent women\u2019s rights as a fundamental part of Aotearoa New Zealand. But, as her memorial suggests, it\u2019s important we don\u2019t see her as the only woman worthy of being on a pedestal.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/167627\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><em>Dr <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/katie-pickles-547300\">Katie Pickles<\/a> is professor of history, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-canterbury-1004\">University of Canterbury<\/a>. This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons licence. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/on-the-money-kate-sheppard-and-the-making-of-a-new-zealand-feminist-icon-167627\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\"><br>\r\nThis content originally appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/2021\/09\/19\/on-the-money-kate-sheppard-and-the-making-of-a-nz-feminist-icon\/\" >Asia Pacific Report<\/a> and was authored by APR editor.  <br><\/p>\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/2021\/09\/19\/on-the-money-kate-sheppard-and-the-making-of-a-nz-feminist-icon\/\">Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ANALYSIS: By Katie Pickles, University of Canterbury In 1992 four New Zealand icons (and the queen) appeared on new banknotes. Part of creating national identity, these notable citizens were chosen to represent the pinnacles of achievement. \u0100pirana Ngata, Edmund Hillary, Ernest Rutherford and Kate Sheppard \u2014 all in circulation so their acts and values can<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":400,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441,27617,35509,35510,432,5,35511,31367,975,35512,442,6,7,388,118,35513,255,12,14,35514,35515,27150,35516,35517],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317504"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/400"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317504"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":317506,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317504\/revisions\/317506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}