NOTABLE SERVICE OF LATE ELLEN MELVILLE

Chronicle (Levin), 1 August 1946, Page 7

NOTABLE SERVICE OF LATE ELLEN MELVILLE

The late Miss Melville, of Auckland, was tke lirst woman city councillor in New Zealand and tke second woman to enter the legal profession in the Dominion. Her record of public service was in many respects uiiique. She was the senior member of the Auckland 'City Council, on which she. had sat continuously for 33 years, while her record as a barrister and solicitor practising on her own aceount since 1909 is believed to be unequalled by anv other woman member of the legal profession in the British Empire, says the Star. Miss Melville 's entliusiasni for the eause of women led her to take an active part in many organisations, and i she became widely lcnown as a public spoaker. She was presideut of the Auckland branch of the National Coun.I cil of Women in 1918-22, 1931-34 and ! 1930-38, and the Dominion presideut I from 1919 to 1923. ller clear, concise j arguments and knowledge of legal pro- ■ cedure made her a valued speaker at i women 's meetings. In 1934 she was j oue of the official New Zealand dele- | gates to the Pan-Paeilic Women 's Con- : ference at Honolulu. ' Patriotic Worker Tn the recent war Miss Melville was : deputy-chairman of the women 's activities sub-committee of the Auckland AletropoJitnn Patriotic Committee. She i was aiso a member of the executive oi' ' the Auckland E.P.S. Women \s Auxiliary j and a block warden, a member of the : executive and linance committee of the Aletropolitan Patriotic Committee, and an executive member of the Auckland branches of both the Lady Galway ! Guild and the Women War Service Auxiliary. She also took part iu , patriotic work iu World War I. j Other offices which Miss Melville j lield wero: Member of the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board eontinu1 ously since 1913; representative of the ; City Council on the Auckland Institute ' and Aluseum Council and the Auckland ; Aletropolitan Alilk Council; member of ; the finance aiul parks committee of the City Council; chainusj.ii of the Aucki land Women 's Kmployiuent Official ! Committee from its formatiou in J931 ' until its disbandment on the introduc- . tion of the Soeial Seeurity svsteni iu 1939; chnrter member of the Auckland Lyceuui Club and pernianent member • of the club committee; member of the ! metropolitan executive of the Auckland ! Ceutennial Council and chairmau of the i women 's committee of tlie council. She sought to enter Parliament oji i several occasions ' as a liefonu and j National Party candidute, but was not ! suceessful.