Cora Louisa Burrell (née Keetley, 19 June 1889 – 20 October 1962) from Christchurch was a National Party activist, on the Canterbury Division executive and a Dominion councillor. National Party historian

Barry Gustafson Barry Selwyn Gustafson (born 1938) is a New Zealand political scientist and historian, and a leading political biographer. He served for nearly four decades as professor of political studies at the University of Auckland, and as Acting Directo ...

said that she was "one of the most important and influential women in the party's early history." She was appointed a member of the

New Zealand Legislative Council The New Zealand Legislative Council was the upper house of the General Assembly of New Zealand between 1853 and 1951. An earlier arrangement of legislative councils for the colony and provinces existed from 1841 when New Zealand became a co ...

on 22 June 1950, one of three woman members of the

suicide squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...

appointed by the

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in 1950 to vote for its abolition. The other women appointed in 1950 were

Ethel Gould Ethel Marion Gould (née Hirst; 2 February 1895 – 9 March 1992) from Auckland was appointed a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council on 22 June 1950. Early life Ethel Marion Hirst was born in Auckland on 2 February 1895. Her father was ...

and

Agnes Weston Dame Agnes Elizabeth Weston, GBE (26 March 1840 – 23 October 1918), also known as Aggie Weston, was an English philanthropist noted for her work with the Royal Navy. For over twenty years, she lived and worked among the sailors of the Royal N ...

. Only two other women, Mary Anderson and

Mary Dreaver Mary Manson Dreaver (née Bain, 31 March 1887 – 19 July 1961) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. Biography Early life She was born in Dunedin, the oldest of 13 children of Alexander Manson Bain and Hanna Kiely. She married A ...

, had ever been appointed to the Council (by Labour, in 1946). In the 1956 Queen's Birthday Honours, Burrell was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for social welfare services.

References

1889 births 1962 deaths Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council New Zealand National Party MLCs Women members of the New Zealand Legislative Council New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century New Zealand women politicians 20th-century New Zealand politicians {{NewZealand-politician-stub