Ellen Melville

Who was Ellen Melville?

Eliza Ellen Melville was a New Zealand feminist and politician.

Melville was born in Tokatoka, on the Wairoa River south of Dargaville. Her father was a farmer and boatbuilder, while her mother was a former teacher. After receiving a basic education from her mother and in Tokatoka, she won a scholarship to study at what is now Auckland Girls' Grammar School. She began to study to become a lawyer, then an unusual choice for women — when she was admitted to the bar in 1906, she was only the second woman in New Zealand to reach this stage. Melville established her own legal practice.

Melville was highly active in promoting women's causes, and in encouraging full participation by women in public life. Much of her activity centred around women's associations and committees, and she held a number of senior positions in such organisations. She was a strong advocate of women seeking political office, and in 1913, she became the first woman to be elected to a municipal authority in New Zealand, gaining a seat on the Auckland City Council. Politically, Melville tended to be conservative in issues not relating to women's rights.