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Trailblazing women at Massey
Introduction
Women have been an integral part of life at Massey University from the beginning. This exhibition highlights a selection of women who were trailblazers at Massey. If you know of other pioneering Massey women who should be included, please get in touch with the details.
Early Academic Appointments
The first woman lecturer at Massey Agricultural College was Agnes Crawford from Scotland, appointed in 1928 as an assistant lecturer in dairying and ‘fancy cheese making’. She was followed by botanist Ella Campbell, who held a master’s degree from the University of Otago. Appointed during World War II to support horticulture courses, Campbell also played an active role in campus life, founding and coaching the women’s hockey team.
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Pioneering Students
The first woman to enrol as a student at Massey Agricultural College was Enid Hills (née Christian), who began a Certificate in Poultry Farming in January 1932. Soon after, Katrine Hursthouse enrolled for postgraduate study, graduating in 1933 with a Master of Science (conferred by Victoria University College). The first degree student who was conferred a degree by Massey was Elsie Thorpe (later known as Paddy Bassett), who enrolled in 1938 for a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and graduated in 1941.
Women’s Residences and Campus Life
During the war years, the College saw an influx of women students. To meet the demand for accommodation, Craiglockhart was purchased in February 1944 as Massey’s first women’s residence. It was soon renamed Moginie House in honour of Mrs M.N. Moginie, who had bequeathed funds to support women’s education at Massey.
Student Leadership
Also in 1944, M.R. Norris became the first woman elected to the executive of the Massey Agricultural College Students’ Association. Thirty-five years later, in 1979, Felicité Jardine was the first woman elected president of the Massey University Students’ Association.
Changing Enrolment Trends
Changing social attitudes towards women’s education led to a steady increase in female enrolments. By 1978, women made up roughly half of Massey’s student body, and since then have consistently been in the majority. In 2012, 65% of distance students and 58% of internal students were women.
Women in Governance
Progress towards gender equity in senior roles has been gradual. The first woman appointed to the University Council was Margaret Keeling in 1977.
Massey’s first woman Chancellor was Morva Croxson, who held office from 1 January 1998. The first woman Pro-Chancellor, Winifred Rockell, was appointed in 1991. The university's first woman Vice-Chancellor - and the first in New Zealand - was Professor Judith Kinnear, who assumed office in 2003.
The first women to join the university’s senior management team were Murna Thomson, appointed as University Registrar in 1999, and Professor Luanna Meyer, appointed as Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic) in 2002.
Professor Giselle Byrnes was appointed in 2016 as Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research, Academic and Enterprise). In 2018, the role was retitled “Provost”, making her the university’s first Provost.
In 1991, Helen Renwick became the first woman to be appointed University Librarian.
Academic Firsts
The first Māori woman academic appointed at Massey University was Ephra Garrett, who joined the Department of Education as a junior lecturer in 1968. Rae Weston became Massey's first female professor in mid-1984, in the field of Banking. She began her role on 1 December 1984. Later that same year, Glynnis Cropp and Nan Kinross were also appointed professors - on the same day - commencing on 1 January 1985.
Cropp had joined the staff in 1963 as a lecturer in French, and became Professor and Head of the Department of Modern Languages in 1985. She later served as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities from 1987 to 1997- the university’s first woman Dean. In 2001, Professor Arohia Durie was appointed as the first Professor of Māori Education.
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