Marlborough Women and the Petition

On 19 September 1893, after submitting a petition with nearly 32,000 signatures, New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the vote. In most other democracies – including Britain and the United States – women did not get that right until after the First World War. New Zealand women voted for the first time in a general election on 28 November 1893.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners Advocate 6 October 1893

In 1892 there were 13,325 people in Marlborough of whom 5,954 were female (including children). 204 women from Marlborough signed the petition.
Despite the short timeframe for voter registration, 109,461 women – about 84% of the adult female population – enrolled to vote in the election. On polling day 90,290 of them cast their votes, a turnout of 82%.

Mary Ann Muller. Marlborough Museum and Archives

Inspired by the writings of Marlborough woman, Mary Ann Muller and suffragette leaders such as Kate Sheppard, the women of Marlborough did their part in changing the history of New Zealand.

Suffrage opponents had warned that delicate ‘lady voters’ would be jostled and harassed in polling booths by ‘boorish and half-drunken men’, but in fact the 1893 election was described as the ‘best-conducted and most orderly’ ever held.¹

The stories of the Marlborough women who signed the Woman's suffrage petition in 1893 have been researched and recorded, and are published on the Prow:

• Mary Mulvey
• Emma and Kate Norgrove
• Emma Litchfield
• Lydia Higgs
• Kate Cullen
• Selina Terrill
• Maggie and Cora Evlyn Mills
• Georgina Penny
• The Fulton sisters

2018

Story by: Marlborough Museum and Archives