Esther Marion Pretoria James (5 November 1900 – 7 January 1990) was an entrepreneur who once walked the length of New Zealand to raise awareness of New Zealand-made goods.

Career

James patented a cutlery washer and rinser that was sold and used in many homes. James was an architectural student of WA Cumming (architect) in Auckland for three years. James was one of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

's first professional fashion models and a keen supporter of "buy New Zealand-made." James walked the length of New Zealand in 1931–32 to raise awareness of New Zealand-made goods and improve trade during the depression. She was the first person ever to do this walk from

Spirits Bay Spirits Bay, officially named Piwhane / Spirits Bay, is a remote bay at the northern end of the Aupouri Peninsula, which forms the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island. It lies between Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua in the west and Ngataea ...

Stewart Island Stewart Island ( mi, Rakiura, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a total land ar ...

and wore only New Zealand-made clothing and shoes. The walk took six months. She also walked from

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

in Australia to promote tourism to New Zealand to Australians. James purchased land in Tauranga and built a house, saying she made 4000 concrete bricks. The sale of that property gave her profits and went on to build a larger house in Remuera, Auckland. James wrote a best-selling

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

titled ''Jobbing Along'' published 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 / ...

in 1965 by Whitcombe & Tombs. In 1969 she was promoting herself as a candidate for a new political party the Independent Women's Party. She said:

A women spends, on average, 25 years of her married life in her home - without praise or pay. Then her husband can take her matrimonial home away from her.' (Esther James 1969)

James lost all her assets in the divorce from her first husband in 1935 including 'the family home-and-income property she had built in the mid-1920s with the proceeds of her earlier land deals'. Her second husband did not approve of her entrepreneurialism and was controlling of their finances.

Family

James was from

Pahiatua , image_skyline = Market day pahiatua 1st dec 2007 1.JPG , imagesize = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shi ...

, New Zealand. She grew up on a farm and was one of the younger of ten siblings. She had two children while her husband was in the army. The soldier and member of the New Zealand Legislative Council,

George Stoddart Whitmore Sir George Stoddart Whitmore (30 May 1829 – 16 March 1903) was a notable New Zealand soldier, military leader, runholder and politician. Early life Whitmore was born on 30 May 1829 to a lieutenant in the British Army, stationed in Malta ...

(1829–1903), was her great-grandfather.

References

1900 births 1990 deaths New Zealand female models People from Pahiatua {{NewZealand-bio-stub