A Passionate Conviction

‘Do not think your single vote does not matter much. The rain that refreshes the parched ground is made up of single drops” Kate Sheppard

The phrase
The ‘Whakatū Wāhine’ phrase represents women — and all people — standing for the rights of women. It was central to the Suffrage Centenary celebrations in 1993 and remains relevant today as we continue to take a stand for gender equality.
The symbol
The Suffrage 125 symbol draws on historical colours and icons adopted by women’s suffrage petitioners and presents them in a contemporary form. Violet represented dignity and self-respect and the white camellia was worn by people supporting women’s right to vote in New Zealand. The ‘125’ contains a koru as a link to our distinct New Zealand culture.

This week on the 19 September 2018 marks a special occasion in New Zealand and World history: it will be 125 years since Women’s Suffrage was granted. This was to change the face of politics in New Zealand, and paved the way for further emancipation around the world.

In honour of the three women from our family: Dinah Hansen, Rachel Lawn and Ida Hart who were signatories on the Suffrage Petition I have submitted short biographies on-line that can be viewed here:

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/suffragist/d-hansen
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/suffragist/i-l-hart
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/suffragist/r-c-lawn

To see if any of your family signed the petition, search here.

Dinah Hansen née Nathan, wearing her Temperance white ribbon c1892 (courtesy P. Caignou)

Rachel Lawn née Hart  c. 1902 (courtesy Owen Lawn)

Ida Lillian Hart née Ball, c. 1910 (courtesy Grace Hanley)

Viewing women’s signatures on the long scrolls what stands out is the wide variety of handwriting: some neat and with a flourish, others scrawl and stab at the paper, leaving ink blotches. Most are written in black ink, some blue and even a few are in red ink. The signatories include Dinah Hansen, who was the second woman to sign the first Greymouth sheet 246 (WCTU president F. Brooke was the first), Dinah’s daughter-in-law Ida Hart later signed the same sheet in Greymouth, and Rachel Lawn signed sheet number 251 along with her friends at the little Methodist Church at Black’s Point, just out of Reefton. Interestingly, Sarah Lawn, who was also involved in the Methodist Church for many years and the WCTU almost certainly supported the cause did not sign the petition.

Progressive, or another agenda?

It is interesting to study the political and social background to this momentous event. Although on the face of it New Zealand could be seen as progressive, the motivation behind granting the Women’s Franchise was because of the unique nature of New Zealand politics at the time. Traditionally political power had been held in the hands of the wealthy few – in order to vote, you had to be white, male, upper-class landowners. The balance of power was threatened by universal male suffrage; there was concern from the traditional, conservative men that their influence would be weakened by having a large number of ‘uneducated’ working-class men casting votes. Despite being the vast majority of voters in New Zealand, men who laboured in farming, fishing, freezing works, railways, factories and mines were seen as a threat to the established order.

Personal and political

Women like Dinah Hansen who had struggled when her husband had left her virtually destitute with a young family, and who had fought to gain and hold onto her little piece of land in Greymouth, also wanted greater economic independence; to be recognised as equal in marriage and their opinions valued and heard in political life. For Dinah, behind the motivation for change in society was a personal reason: the abhorrence of hard drink. Family anecdote suggests that this had something to do with Nathaniel Hart and perhaps his disappearance in Australia. Whether this was just because he got into trouble in their early days in Christchurch by selling alcohol to the gold diggers, or whether he himself liked to drink and it affected the family, is unknown. By the time of the late 1880s it was clear that Dinah and her family, now deeply involved with the Methodist faith, decided to seek a temperate lifestyle and even to push for prohibition.

Bills for Women’s Franchise were introduced to the New Zealand Parliament in 1880 and 1881. A major vehicle for change was spear-headed in New Zealand by the Womens Christian Temperance Union, a movement that had begun in America but soon spread in popularity. By the beginning of 1886 there were 15 branches of the WCTU in New Zealand. Their first convention, held later that year, decided that they would work for women’s suffrage. In 1887 Kate Sheppard, of Christchurch was appointed the national WCTU superintendent for franchise and legislation. Under her steerage the Union worked with intense determination to achieve their goal. By May 1892 Greymouth had formed its own chapter of the WCTU with members pledging to work for “For God, for home and humanity” and Dinah Hansen was the first secretary.

 A meeting of the newly organised Women’s Christian Temperance Union was held in the Town Hall, Gresson street, on Wednesday afternoon, 18th inst. There were present 17 members, all of whom signed the Women’s Christian Temperance pledge. After the minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, the election of officers took place, with the following result Mrs Brooke, president, Mrs Calders, vice-president Mrs Hansen, secretary pro term Mrs Whall treasurer pro term. Communications were read from the Town Clerk re using the Town Hall for the meetings, and from the secretary of the WCTU Christchurch, giving all information for carrying on the work. The meetings will be held on alternate Wednesday afternoons, when all who are interested in the work will be heartily welcome.∗

The first two petitions for franchise of 350 signatures were presented in 1887 and the Jewish parliamentarian Julius Vogel introduced a Woman’s Suffrage Bill which was withdrawn at committee stage. In May 1888 the WCTU stepped up their campaign, ensuring that every parliamentarian understood their reasoning by sending each member of the house of representatives a leaflet Ten reasons why the women of New Zealand should vote, which outlined how women were discriminated and why women deserved full suffrage.

In 1890 long serving Conservative MP Sir John Hall introduced another Women’s Franchise Bill which failed on a technicality. An amendment also failed as supporters were not present when the vote was cast. The following year 9000 women’s signatures on eight separate petitions were not enough to sway Parliament despite the premier John Ballance giving his support. The parliamentarians arguing against Franchise were supporting the lucrative liquor lobby. It was to be a few more years before this battle was won, yet the women and men of New Zealand were not about to give up the fight for their moral and political revolution. It was no longer if, but when.

Winning the Vote

Roused by 600 members of WCTU around New Zealand, women gathered in churches, schools and halls to sign the petitions: in 1892 over 19,000 women contributed to six petitions and then in 1893 thirteen petitions signed by 32,000 women were presented at parliament.

The campaigners had little time to celebrate: their next task was to ensure women were enrolled in the next two months when the rolls closed before the New Zealand general election scheduled for Tuesday 28 November. By Election Day there were 84 percent of the eligible women registered, of those two out of three women voted.[2] The Liberals won nearly 58 percent of the vote and Richard Seddon became Prime Minister for the next 13 years.

Many of the parliamentarians who had voted for women’s suffrage were not entirely altruistic. Hall, a long time support of Women’s Suffrage and a conservative politician, thought women would be conservative voters. Some also believed that women would vote according to the wishes of their husbands and fathers.

So often the stories recorded are of men and their accomplishments. These three suffragists deserve to shine as well. Once they had won the right to vote, they did not sit back, but continued to forge what they thought would be a better society, by following their beliefs with a passionate conviction.

Dinah Hansen (front row, seventh from left in dark dress and hands folded in her lap) and her daughter Rachel Lawn (behind Dinah’s left shoulder, wearing a large white hat tilted forward) in Greymouth, 1906, alongside Kate Sheppard  (large white collar, no hat) and others.  Auckland Weekly News. Image: AWNS-19060412-10-7  Used with permission. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries.

For further background on the work Dinah and her daughters contributed to the Methodist Church, WCTU and Women’s Suffrage see Chapter 13 – Fighting the Good Fight in my book To Live a Long and Prosperous Life.

∗ Grey River Argus, 20 May 1892 

[2] Aitkinson, N. (2012).‘Voting rights – Votes for women’, Te Ara

 

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