Source: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
October 7
The addition of Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House to Aotearoa New Zealand’s World Heritage Tentative List is an acknowledgement of its international significance according to Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, which manages the historic site.
“We’re delighted that the review panel has concluded that adding Kate Sheppard House to the Tentative List is an appropriate next step towards possible inscription as a World Heritage Site,” says Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Director Southern Region, Dr Christine Whybrew.
“Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House has global resonance for its direct association with the world’s first successful campaign for women’s suffrage that was led by Kate Sheppard.”
Originally the family home of Kate and Walter Sheppard from 1888 to 1902, Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House became the nerve centre of the campaign to achieve universal women’s suffrage in New Zealand.
“Kate lived in this house during those crucial years when she undertook nationally significant work,” says Dr Whybrew.
“At Kate Sheppard House we authentically connect visitors to a place of world-first achievement, in a way few other places can.
“Here activities were planned, speeches were prepared, and a vast number of letters, pamphlets and articles written to assert the message of women’s right to vote and greater equality within society. It was also here that Kate prepared three large suffrage petitions, including the ‘monster petition’ of 1893 which eventually totalled over 31,000 signatures.”
Kate Sheppard’s campaign was successful, and in 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to recognise women’s rights by enfranchising them.
“It was an important event which resonated around the world and was a major step towards women achieving greater equality within society,” she says.
“Visitors to Kate Sheppard House can experience that historic moment in time through the profound sense of place that exists here, stemming from the fact that this is where internationally significant social change occurred.
“Inclusion on the Tentative List for consideration of World Heritage status directly reflects the importance of this place, not only for New Zealanders but the world.”
For more information on Te Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House: https://www.visitheritage.co.nz/visit/upper-south-island/te-whare-waiutuutu-kate-sheppard-house
Pic: Kate Sheppard House exterior: (Credit: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga)
Caption: Kate Sheppard House – a new addition to Aotearoa New Zealand’s World Heritage Tentative List.
Pic: KS House – interior front room: (Credit: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga)
Caption: The front room of Kate Sheppard House – the nerve centre of Kate Sheppard’s successful campaign to achieve universal women’s suffrage in New Zealand.