Hilda Ross
| The Honourable Dame Hilda Ross DBE | |
|---|---|
 Hilda Ross, c.1951 | |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Hamilton | |
|
In office 1945 – 1959 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Findlay |
| Succeeded by | Lance Adams-Schneider |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Grace Hilda Cuthbertha Ross 6 July 1883 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Died |
6 March 1959 (aged 75) Hamilton, New Zealand |
| Political party | National |
| Spouse(s) | Harry Campbell Manchester Ross (m. 1904; d. 1940) |
Dame Grace Hilda Cuthbertha Ross DBE (née Nixon, 6 July 1883 – 6 March 1959), known as Hilda Ross, was a New Zealand politician for the National Party and an activist.
Early years
She was born at Auckland to Adam Nixon and Zillah Johnson. Her family lived in both Sydney and Auckland, and she received her education in these cities. She trained as a music teacher and later conducted the Hamilton City Choral Operatic Society.[1]
Family
In 1904 she married Harry Campbell Manchester Ross (died 1940) in Auckland. Her husband founded a furnishing company, "Barton and Ross". They had four sons, two of whom died in infancy.[2]
Political career
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1945–1946 | 27th | Hamilton | National | |
| 1946–1949 | 28th | Hamilton | National | |
| 1949–1951 | 29th | Hamilton | National | |
| 1951–1954 | 30th | Hamilton | National | |
| 1954–1957 | 31st | Hamilton | National | |
| 1957–1959 | 32nd | Hamilton | National | |
Her first elected posts were the Waikato Hospital Board (1941) and the Hamilton Borough Council (1944). She was Deputy Mayor of Hamilton in 1945.[1] Following the death of the incumbent MP for Hamilton, Frank Findlay,[3] she won the 1945 by-election to represent the electorate in the New Zealand Parliament, where she remained until her death 14 years later in 1959.[4][5] As MP she held various posts in the First National Government, including Member of the Executive Council (1949–1957),[6] Minister of Social Security (1957),[7] Minister of Welfare of Women and Children (1949–1957),[8] and Minister of Child Welfare (1954–1957).[9][5]
Later life
She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1956 New Year Honours.[4][10] She died on 6 March 1959 in Hamilton.[1]
Quote
- "Married women with children should wake up to their responsibilities in the home and stay at home".
Legacy
- Dame Hilda Ross Memorial Arts Centre & Dame Hilda Ross Memorial Arts Centre Appeal
Notes
- 1 2 3 Gustafson 1986, p. 340.
- ↑ Dalley, Bronwyn. "Ross, Grace Hilda Cuthberta". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
- ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 196.
- 1 2 Wilson 1985, p. 231.
- 1 2 Hilda Ross bio
- ↑ Wilson 1985, pp. 86–88.
- ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 88.
- ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 133.
- ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 118.
- ↑ "Dame Hilda Ross, 1883-1959 - Hamilton Heritage - Kete Hamilton". Ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hilda Ross. |
- Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
- Women in Parliamentary Life 1970–1990: Hocken Lecture 1993 by Marilyn Waring, page 34–35 (Hocken Library, University of Otago, 1994) ISBN 0-902041-61-4
- Background
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Frank Findlay |
Member of Parliament for Hamilton 1945–1959 |
Succeeded by Lance Adams-Schneider |