Mary McEwan

Signed family name

McEwan

Signed given name

Mary

Given address

Dunedin

Sheet number

151

Town/Suburb

No suburb given

City/Region

Dunedin

Notes

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Mary McEwan was born on 8 November 1859 in North Knapdale, Argyllshire, Scotland – the daughter of Peter McEwan, a merchant seaman, and Ann Sinclair.

She emigrated to New Zealand with her family in the early 1860s and when Mary signed the suffrage petition she was living in Smith St, Dunedin with her siblings and widowed father working as a teacher.

In December 1914 Mary retired from her teaching position at the Kaikorai School after a period of 19 years.

The teaching staff were invited to 'a musical evening, and a very pleasant time was spent. Miss McEwan was presented with a gold bangle as a token of the regard of her colleagues. The following day a pleasant surprise awaited Miss McEwan at the school. The scholars had for some time been quietly collecting, with the object of tangibly showing their regard for the infant mistress. The result was the presentation to Miss McEwan of a lady’s silver-mounted dressing case.'

At the conclusion of the children’s prize giving the school committee presented Mary with 'a leather-bound illuminated address”.'

The Otago Education Board passed a resolution 'regretting the loss of her services and expressing appreciation of the work she had done on behalf of the board, and the hope that she would live long to enjoy her honourable retirement.'

Mary died on 14 June 1943, she is buried with her sister Jane (See 151 Jeannie McEwan) in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.