Dolce Ann Cabot (1862–1943) was a New Zealand journalist, newspaper editor, feminist, and teacher. She was probably the first woman in New Zealand to have been employed by a newspaper, editing the "Ladies' Page" of ''The Canterbury Times'' from May 1894.

Biography

Born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

on 25 November 1862, Dolce Ann Cabot was the daughter of Thomas Cabot, a farmer and teacher from

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, and his wife Louisa Augusta Kunkel of German extraction. She was brought up on the family farm at Otipua near

Timaru Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to ...

where she was first educated privately. After spending two years at Christchurch Girls' High School (1878–80), she studied teacher training at

Christchurch Normal School Cranmer Court, the former Christchurch Normal School, was one of the most significant heritage buildings in Christchurch, New Zealand. Its demolition, due to some damage in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, was controversial. History The Canter ...

. She later became an extramural student at

Canterbury College Canterbury College may refer to: * Canterbury College (Indiana), U.S. * Canterbury College (Waterford), Queensland, Australia * Canterbury College (Windsor, Ontario), Canada * Canterbury College, Kent, England * Canterbury College, Oxford, England ...

but did not complete the degree course. Cabot taught at Timaru Main School from 1880 to 1891. On the basis of a number of articles on woman's suffrage, she was employed by ''The Canterbury Times, a Christchurch newspaper, where she edited the Ladies' Page from 1894 to 1907. It is believed she was the first woman to join the staff of a New Zealand newspaper. Initially an ardent suffragist, her editorial emphasis was on education, good health and Christian values as priorities for women's successful development but she denounced child marriage in India and the wearing of sealskin coats. As time went by, she was less emphatic about the extension of women's rights, turning to the importance of a woman's role as a housewife and a mother. On 30 October 1907, she married Andrew Duncan, a station master. She left ''The Canterbury Times'', moving with her husband to

Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...

(1910),

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

(1912) and

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(1915). In 1922, she helped to launch Auckland's ''Ladies' Mirror'', but only published three articles in the magazine. By and large, while married she discontinued her interest in writing and feminism, devoting her efforts to raising her seven stepchildren. On Duncan's retirement, the couple moved to

Manurewa Manurewa is a major suburb in South Auckland, New Zealand. It was part of Manukau City before the creation of the Auckland super city in 2010. It is located south of the Manukau City Centre, and southeast of Auckland CBD. The suburb is b ...

(1922) In 1928, they returned to Christchurch (1935) where Duncan died in 1935. Dulce Ann Cabot died in Christchurch on 31 May 1943.

References

External links

Dolce Cabot and the ''Canterbury Times'' "Ladies' Page": An Examiniation of Early New Zealand Women's Journalism
M.A. thesis by Chanel Hughes, 1998 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cabot, Dolce Ann 1862 births 1943 deaths New Zealand journalists New Zealand women writers New Zealand women journalists New Zealand feminists New Zealand editors New Zealand magazine editors Women magazine editors New Zealand women editors People from Christchurch