Waikato suffrage pioneers celebrated at Hamilton's Grain Exchange

125 women filled Hamilton's grain exchange to celebrate their achievements. Photo / Craig Brown

The red carpet was rolled out and the stage was set at Hamilton's Grain Exchange, as 125 women from across the Waikato came together to celebrate women's suffrage 125 and their own individual achievements.

It was an afternoon filled with laughter, tears and memories in which young and old, mayors and sports stars, lawyers and students, and many more mingled enjoyed high tea and chatted about the celebration of women.

Waikato125 is an initiative, led by Hamilton city councillor Angela O'Leary to pay tribute to pioneers of women's suffrage in New Zealand.

The initiative specifically celebrates instrumental women in the Waikato today recognising those who display values like Kate Sheppard, who passionately led the New Zealand women's suffrage movement over 125 years ago.

Kaumātua for Hamilton City Council, Tame Pokaia opened the tea with a prayer, and a short speech in which he acknowledged that he had to research the meaning of the day.

"I must say, I had to Google what the day meant, and I thank Angela for inviting me to open the 125 women's suffrage day," Mr Pokaia said.

One of the stars of the high tea, comedian Jan Maree, led the day thanking Ms O'Leary for putting the day together.

Of course she did have a few jokes to share, including one about the breakthrough for women the day brought as there were so many women gathered that "the two toilets, one for girls and one for boys are both for us girls, and there still won't be enough."

"The seven men who are here today, you are going to follow the signs right to the bottom of the hallway to the one toilet that you can all share," joked Ms Maree.

Ms O'Leary then took to the stage to thank the guests and sponsors in attendances, including Momentum Waikato's Janice Lapwood who Ms O'Leary joked had turned up in the bearded form of Momentum's CEO Kelvyn Eglinton (who was filling in for Ms Lapwood).

As the tea was poured, and the freshly baked scones served, the guests entertained themselves with conversation with one another, before more words were spoken to the crowd.

Rototuna High School teacher Kendyl Morris recited an original poem she had written for the day, about the journey Kate Sheppard took 125 years ago to achieve the right for women to vote.

It read in part:

She was without a corset, this was the 1890s and she would need all the air in her lungs for this battle. Her clothing was stained blue, it was the colour of man, and yet she wore it like it was a shade made for women and she lived in hope that one day it would be. Under her arm she held tight to a bundle of wallpaper, she had done this walk once before already and she was told then she did not have enough names signed to her piece of paper, this time she did.

The tea concluded with a documentary created by Nimbus media for the occasion, which interviewed relatives of women who had played an instrumental part in local and national history.

Each of the 125 nominated women left with a Koru, hand designed by Waikato high school students over a month ago, along with the memory of an afternoon where women were able to celebrate their achievements.