Mabel Howard
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| Mabel Bowden Howard | |
| Born | 18 April 1894 Bowden, Adelaide, Australia |
|---|---|
| Died | 23 June 1972 Sunnyside Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Politician, trade unionist, and community worker |
| Spouse | Never married |
Mabel Howard, full name Mabel Bowden Howard (18 April 1894 – 23 June 1972) was a well known New Zealand trade unionist and politician. She was the first woman secretary of a male union (the Canterbury General Labourers’ Union).
She was a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party from 1943 until 1969. In 1947 she became New Zealand's first woman cabinet minister when she was made Minister of Health and Minister in charge of Child Welfare. She is remembered for waving two large pairs of bloomers in parliament in support of her successful campaign to have clothing sizes standardised.
She also worked as a volunteer for many organisations, among them St John's Ambulance, and the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RNZSPCA). [1]
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[edit] Early life
Mabel Howard was born in Bowden, Australia on the 18th of April 1894. She moved to New Zealand with her father (Ted Howard) and sisters after her mother's death in 1903. [2]
[edit] Union Worker
At the age of 17, Mabel Howard started working for the Canterbury General Labourers’ Union. In 1933, at the age of 39, she became the first woman to become secretary of a male union in New Zealand.
[edit] Member of Parliament
In 1943, Mabel Howard was elected Member of Parliament for Christchurch East, becoming the fifth woman MP. Her father Edwin John (Ted) Howard, was Member of Parliament for Christchurch South from 1919 until his death in 1939. Mabel Howard had hoped to be chosen to stand for the Christchrch South seat after her father's death in 1939.
In 1946 Mabel Howard became the first Member of Parliament for the new Sydenham seat, which she won with a majority of 75.2 percent. She remained the MP for Sydenham until her retirement in 1969.
[edit] Retirement and Death
Mabel Howard was committed by court order to Sunnyside Hospital a psychiatric hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand suffering from dementia and paranoia, and died there on 23 June 1972.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Gee, David. 1977. 'Our Mabel'. Wellington: Millwood Press. 1977.
- McAloon, Jim (2000). 'Howard, Mabel Bowden 1894 - 1972'. Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, updated 7 April 2006
Dictionary of New Zealand Biography entry
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Monumental Stories. Accessed 27 October, 2006 [3]
- McAloon, Jim. 'Howard, Mabel Bowden 1894 - 1972'. Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, updated 7 April 2006 [4]
- Photograph of Mabel Howard and the famous bloomers. Wilson, John. 'Canterbury places', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 26-Sep-2006.
