OBITUARY

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27664, 21 May 1955, Page 2

OBITUARY

MRS R. H. ARMITAGE “The Press’* Special service DUNEDIN, May 20. The death occurred at Dunedin recently of Mrs Rachelina Hepburn Armitage, aged 83, of “Garmancarq,” Temuka, where she has been a wellknown and respected member of the community for more than 50 years. Mrs Armitage was the eldest daughter of William Downie Stewart, M.L.C., and of Rachel Downie Stewart, third daughter of George Hepburn, a Provincial Councillor and member of the House of Representatives, and one of the founders of Knox Church. She was the first woman to go to Oxford from New Zealand. In 1893 she entered Somerville Hall, Oxford. After three years there she spent three years in voluntary work for the Women’s University Settlement in South London. After her marriage in 1903 to Mr George Whitefield Armitage, a prominent figure in educational, sporting and public life in South Canterbury, she settled in her country home outside Temuka, where she lived until her death. Mrs Armitage was a close friend of Sir Truby King and was one of the founders of the Plunket Society ih South Canterbury. She was president of the society there for many years and continued her interest in it until her death. Before the Plunket Society started she organised of a similar nature to help mothers and children in the district. Later, many leading figures of her day, in connexion with affairs of women and children, came to the district. She was one of the founders of the South Canterbury Women’s Club, and joined with her husband in his lifelong work for St. Peter’s Church, lemuka. She is survived by two sons, Mr George Whitefield Armitage, of Willowbank” Southland, and Mr William Stewart Armitage, of Dunedin.