Margaret Sievwright

Throughout her life she maintained an enthusiasm for learning and social activism, with a particular focus on improving conditions for women and children.

[1][2][3] As a nurse she joined Josephine Butler’s campaign against the Contagious Disease Acts in both Britain and New Zealand.

[4] Through her association with the WCTU NZ and the NCWNZ, Sievwright worked closely with Kate Sheppard and Anna Stout.

Sievwright’s husband William also supported her work, publishing a defense of feminism and women’s suffrage.

[10] Colleagues of Sievwright erected a drinking fountain in Gisborne, on Peel Street near the Gladstone Road intersection.