Suffrage Day, 1986 (Press, 15 September 1986)

On 15 September 1986, preparations were made to celebrate the upcoming Women's Suffrage Day on 19 September, marking the ninety-third anniversary of New Zealand women gaining the vote. In Christchurch, a potluck dinner was organised for the evening before, on 18 September, at Old Stone House in Cashmere, where local women active in the women's movement would discuss their struggles and aspirations. The main speaker for the event would be feminist writer and peace advocate Elsie Locke, joined by other notable speakers including Averil Toohey from Christchurch Teachers' College, Daphne Terpstra from the Women’s Refuge, industrial nurse Mavis Watson, church representative Jocelyn Armstrong, and several others involved in various women’s issues and advocacy. Betty Roberts, the event organiser, aimed to reflect on the progress made, current standing, and future hopes for the women’s movement. Attendees were asked to bring food for the shared meal and contribute a dollar towards costs. Additionally, there was another Suffrage Day celebration planned for the following evening hosted by the Council of Women, featuring guest speaker Sharon Crosbie at The Old Orchard. Tickets for this dinner event were priced at $19. Several courses addressing women's issues were also set to commence at the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA). A four-week course titled "Women in the Workplace" was starting on 16 September, followed by an eight-week historical perspective course titled "New Zealand Women of the 1980s" beginning on 17 September. Another relevant course, focusing on self-esteem and community resources, was to begin on 18 September, alongside other health-related courses. In addition to these events, the newly formed Christchurch group Play for Life, campaigning against war toys, planned to hold a public meeting on 18 September. This initiative followed a recent effort by a parent group in Wanganui, who sent a toy shotgun to the Minister of Social Welfare advocating for a ban on violent toys. Spokesman Peter Arnold emphasised concerns about the impact of violent play on children's behaviour. Two charity fashion shows were also scheduled for that week at the Chateau Regency, one on 18 September for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the other on 21 September by the Altrusa Club to support the Cot Death Society. Other community discussions were announced, including a Family Life Education Council forum for parents on parenting adolescents beginning on 24 September, and a course designed to guide parents on starting school set to start on 22 September. Meetings addressing pre-menstrual tension and dementia were organised for 18 September, highlighting a wide range of issues affecting the local community. These events demonstrated the active engagement of women in Christchurch in discussing and advocating for various issues, reflecting a collective commitment to improving their lives and the community.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand