Notes

Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wāhine = The Women's Suffrage Petition

When Governor Glasgow signed the Electoral Bill on 19 September 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing nation in the world where women had won the right to vote. The Bill was the outcome of years of meetings in towns and cities across the country, with women often travelling considerable distances to hear lectures and speeches, pass resolutions and sign petitions.

Access the Archives New Zealand website via the link below to read more about the Suffrage Petition and view images of the document.

A number of petitions were presented to both Houses of Parliament from the early 1880s till 1893.

In 1891 eight petitions containing more than 9000 signatures were gathered, and in 1892 six petitions containing almost 20,000. These were the culmination of many years work by the Women‘s Christian Temperance Movement and prominent suffragist, Kate Sheppard, among others.

Despite the failures of these petitions, another was organised in 1893. It was described by Kate Sheppard as "a monster petition" demanding the right for women to vote. Petition sheets, circulated throughout New Zealand, were returned to Christchurch where Kate Sheppard pasted each sheet end on end and rolled it around a section of a broom handle.

In the end, 13 petitions were submitted to the House of Representatives in 1893. They contained the signatures of 31,872 women from across the country and across the social spectrum. Twelve of the petitions have not survived, but the "monster" that was pasted together did. This contains 25,519 signatures, including some men.

The roll was presented to Parliament with great drama. John Hall, Member of Parliament and suffrage supporter, brought it into the House and unrolled it down the central aisle of the debating chamber until it hit the end wall with a thud. Less than two months later, 109,461 women enrolled to vote in the 1893 election.