My First Eighty Years

by Helen Mary Wilson

ebook

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Helen Mary Wilson (née Ostler) was a New Zealand teacher, farmer, community leader and writer. She was a leading figure in the Women's Division of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her service as Dominion president.

Wilson was the author of several books, including the autobiography My First Eighty Years, which is regarded as a New Zealand classic.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ebook first published in 1951 about an early woman pioneer, whose brother was the Supreme Court Judge Sir Hubert Ostler. Helen Wilson was a strong woman, largely raised by her mother, who had been widowed young at 28. She and her mother bought a farm out of Levin, and broke it in, living from a basic shelter and gradually developing a proper home. She was an early figure in Womens Division Federated Farmers and also late on the hospital Board, which she largely skims over. I suspect she would valuable material for a more scholarly biography, but this fluently written tale is fascinating and should be read more widely.