Elizabeth Yates The first lady Mayor in the British Empire

By Judith Devaliant New Zealand lives - true stories of the people who shaped the nation.

Published by Exisle Publishing Ltd, 1996

Card cover, 160 pages, black and whites photos, illustration

Excellent condition – name inside

New Zealand's first elected female politician was a woman of remarkable tenacity and courage who endured abuse from her fellow councillors and members of the public, mainly because of her gender.

Elizabeth Yates served just one year as Mayor of Onehunga in 1894 but her legacy is seen in the increasing numbers of women entering local and national politics in New Zealand.

Decades ahead of her time (the country did not get its second woman mayor for another 63 years), Elizabeth disavowed feminist banners and claimed she simply wanted to be a good manager. In this first biography, author Judith Devaliant provides a fascinating account of the circus atmosphere which developed around the Onehunga Borough Council meetings during Elizabeth's tenure of office, and of the tactics she used to defend herself.

CONTENTS: Acknowledgements List of Illustrations Introduction 1 Early Days 2 The First Yates Mayoralty 3 The lady Mayor 4 Installation 5 Her Worship Speaks 6 The War of the Drains 7 Mrs Yates Clears the Room 8 Creating a Star in the World 9 Lobbying with a Vengeance 10 The Glory hath Departed from Onehunga 1 1 A Time for Reflection 12 The lady Councillor 13 The Final Humiliation Appendix: Women in Local and National Politics Footnotes Bibliography Index