universities

The war years

In some ways war interrupted the work of New Zealand writers; in others it acted as a stimulant. For those who joined the armed forces, such as Eric McCormick, Bruce Mason and Dan Davin, experience of travel and danger gave creative impetus and a new perspective on their country of birth. New Zealand writing gained some international exposure through John Lehmann's Penguin New Writing from 1941. New Zealand New Writing, a local adaptation of this publication produced between 1942 and 1945, was another vehicle for fresh talent.

On 11 July 1877 Kate Edger (Evans) graduated with a BA in Latin and Mathematics from the University of New Zealand. She became the first woman in New Zealand to gain a university degree and the first woman in the British Empire to earn a BA.

She supported women’s suffrage and until the early 1930s was active in the Women's Christian Temperance Union. She was also heavily involved in the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Women and Children. Read more about Kate Edger.