Western News: June 01, 2023

Thursday June 1 2023 5
Close family and
work connection
• From page 3
“A notice of her passing
in The White Ribbon – the
first New Zealand newspaper
written by women for women –
acknowledged that ‘the Feilding
branch could ill spare such a
spirit’.”
Leading suffragist Kate
Sheppard, who was instrumental
in ensuring the legislation that
granted New Zealand women
the vote was passed in September
1893, was a founding member
of the Women’s Christian
Temperance Union, becoming its
national superintendant
of franchise and legislation
in 1887.
It was in this role that Kate
Sheppard organised the petitions
and the campaign to secure the
vote for women in New Zealand.
Her house – now cared for by
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere
Taonga – was the nerve centre of
the campaign.
“The connection raises the
question in my mind whether
Emily and Kate Sheppard
ever corresponded. It seems
like it could be a possibility,”
Goodbehere said.
Already, one of the mysteries
around Emily appears to have
been solved.
“I always suspected my
ancestors had signed the 1893
Kate Sheppard
women’s suffrage petition,
however I wasn’t able to find any
of their names on the digitised
version,” said Goodbehere.
“I did eventually come across
the transcript of the 1892 petition
on the NZ History website and
found Emily Mary Goodbehere’s
name there, signed in Feilding.
I suspect that the Feilding area
petition sheets of the 1893 edition
were on a roll that went directly
to Parliament and have sadly
since been lost.”
Goodbehere is relishing
what she sees as a close family
connection to her current place
of work at Te Whare Waiutuutu
Kate Sheppard House.
“I couldn’t be prouder and look
forward to more suprises as I dive
deeper into my family history,”
she said.
‘Cornerstone of the
Dutch community’
•From page 1
In conferring the award, van
der Vorst acknowledged the
contribution Van Schaijik has
made to the Dutch community
in New Zealand.
His achievements include
supporting Dutch immigrants
and helping to establish the
Oranjehof Museum in Foxton,
which tells the story of the
Dutch immigrants in New
Zealand.
Van Schaijik is managing
director at John Jones Steel
and a former chair of Steel
Construction NZ – and a keen
Crusaders supporter.
“Frank has undeniably been
a cornerstone of the Dutch
community in Christchurch for
•From page 1
“But we have to take this step to
comply with the law,” Smith said.
“We’ve been working to
update current chlorination
equipment at our pump stations
and are now ready to get it upand-running.
“Some of our staff and contractors
working in three waters
a long time now,” said van der
Vorst.
Attendees included previous
recipients of the award, former
South Island honorary consul
for the Netherlands, Gerald van
Looy, and Netherlands Society
Christchurch entertainment
manager Annie van der
Dussen.
“The medal is likely to take
pride of place in a private
memorabilia gallery I have
planned,” said Van Schaijik.
COMMUNITY: Aikmans
Bar & Eatery and Brigittes
owner Frank Van Schaijik is
now a Knight of the Order
of Orange-Nassau.
Staff abused over chlorination
have reported an increase in
abuse in recent weeks.
“Please remember that our
staff are just doing their jobs.
They’re people just like you –
please be cool, not cruel, and
make sure they’re treated with
respect.
“When chlorine is introduced
to an unchlorinated water supply
there can be taste and odour
issues as chlorinated water reacts
with unchlorinated water and
any naturally occurring biofilms
in the pipework.”
The lowest dose of chlorine,
sufficient to achieve greater than
0.2 milligrams per litre across the
network, will be introduced to 20
per cent of the water supply.
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