M. McLaren

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Mary McLaren was born on 15 April 1856 in Kilsyth, Stirlingshire, Scotland – the daughter of Andrew McLaren, a butcher, and Mary Johnstone. (See 118 M McLaren)

She emigrated to Otago in 1863 on the Nelson with her family and they settled in Milton.

By 1871 Mary was working as a pupil teacher in Milton, she passed her examinations in 1876 and worked at the Normal and Arthur St Schools in Dunedin.

Mary was appointed to the position of mistress at the Tokomairiro School in 1881.

Before she left Dunedin she was presented with 'a lady’s bag in plush, with silver mounts, and a Russia-leather cabinet, containing five photographic albums bound in Russia', a gift from the pupils and teachers at her school.

Mary signed the suffrage petition in Milton – she was forced to retire under the Otago Education Board’s new superannuation scheme in 1911.

At the break-up ceremony in December of that year she was presented with 'a handsome oak writing cabinet and oak flower stand' bearing an inscription from the pupils.

In 1912 the Toko High School Ex Pupils Club held a social in Milton to honour Mary’s service, she was presented with a 'handsome silver tea and coffee service' engraved with her name. She died in Dunedin on 3 April 1938 and is buried in the Fairfax Cemetery, Milton.

Her obituary said she 'was one who added much to the cause of education in the Tokomairiro district...She was gifted with many talents and a wonderful executive ability, and all the girls in the school benefited from her tuition in no small degree. Equipping herself in every branch on needlework and arts and crafts as they came into vogue, she passed on this knowledge freely and generously.'

Sources

BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/

Family Search https://www.familysearch.org

Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz

Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz