Ann Boyce

Who is Ann Boyce?

Ann Boyce was a New Zealand founding mother and herbalist. She was born as Ann Cave in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1827. In 1837 she came to Port Underwood in Marlborough, New Zealand, with her family. She married William Boyce when she was 16 or less, and they lived in the Nelson area, and later Motueka. She had 13 children.

Boyce had close contact with Māori people from the time she came to New Zealand. In Motueka, she was known as a herbalist especially knowledgeable about the medicinal use of plants, and provided medical assistance to Māori.

She died at Motueka on 28 February 1914 aged 87, having outlived her husband by nearly 19 years.

She was written about in a two-page story by her granddaughter Flora Park Cave Spurdle called 'Tales my grandmother told me'.