Ephra Mary Garrett

Dr Ephra Mary Garrett was a pioneering Māori academic whose work helped shape the fields of social work, women’s studies, and Māori education in Aotearoa New Zealand. As the first Māori woman appointed to the faculty at Massey University, she broke new ground and paved the way for future generations of Māori scholars and educators.

Born in Carterton in 1923, Garrett was affiliated with Te Ātiawa and Ngāti Mutunga. She grew up in a bicultural home in Hawke’s Bay and attended Waipawa High School (now Central Hawke’s Bay College). After training at Wellington Teachers’ College, she taught in rural schools and later worked in the Special Section of the Correspondence School.

In 1952, Garrett joined the Department of Māori Affairs as the Māori Welfare Officer for the Ikaroa District. Her commitment to supporting whānau and communities was evident throughout her career. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and worked with the Psychology Services in Palmerston North, before spending time in the United Kingdom as an educational psychologist.

Garrett joined Massey University in 1968 as a junior lecturer in the Department of Education, becoming the first Māori woman to hold a faculty position at the university. She completed her Master of Arts in 1970, with a thesis exploring the concept of a healthy family. Her academic work was grounded in a deep understanding of Māori values and a strong belief in social justice.

Together with colleague Merv Hancock, Garrett co-developed the Bachelor of Social Work programme, which launched in 1976. She was a founding member of the Social Work Unit and later helped establish the Department of Social Policy and Social Work in 1987. In 1978, she introduced Massey’s first Women’s Studies paper, Women in Society, which laid the foundation for a broader programme that continues to grow today.

Garrett’s influence extended well beyond the university. She was active in national and international forums, including the National Council of Social Services and the UNESCO Task Force on the Status of Women. She also contributed to early childhood education through the Playcentre movement and was known for her work as a foster mother.

Her contributions were recognised with an honorary doctorate from Massey University in 1993 and a Queen’s Service Medal in the 1997 New Year Honours. Today, her legacy is honoured through the Whāea Ephra Garrett Award, offered by the university’s Centre for Indigenous Psychologies, and the Ephra Garrett Study Room on campus.

Dr Ephra Garrett’s life and work continue to inspire. Her commitment to embedding Māori perspectives in education and social work, and her advocacy for women and whānau, have left a lasting mark on Palmerston North and across Aotearoa.

"Honorary doctorate citation, Ephra Garrett, 1993". Tāmiro. Massey University Library. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

"Whāea Ephra Garrett Award". Centre for Indigenous Psychologies. Massey University. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

Janine Rankin, "Caring lecturer grew leaders". Manawatū Standard. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

"Outstanding women honoured". MU. No. 36. 20 December 1993. Page 1. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

"Trailblazing women at Massey". Tāmiro. Massey University Library. Retrieved 15 July 2025.