COUNCILLOR AT KAWERAU

Press, Volume C, Issue 29600, 24 August 1961, Page 2

COUNCILLOR AT KAWERAU

Miss M. Neely

' A woman with an outstanding war record has become a borough councillor of Kawerau, She is Miss Meryll Neely, of Kawerau, who came to New Zealand as a child from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. At the outbreak of World War 11. Miss Neely joined the Women’s War Service Auxiliary in Wellington. She was among those first selected for overseas service in the W.A.A.v.’s and became officer commanding a group of 30.

Miss Neely served for four years in the Middle East, rising to senior commander, equivalent to major. She was also serving in Maadi, Rome and Bari. In 1945 she was awarded the M.B.E.

At the end of the war Miss Neely became Director of Administration Services and personnel officer for U.N.R.RA. in Albania.

During her 21 months in Albania, Miss Neely became proficient at Italian and French.

Soon after her return, Miss Neely found herself travelling again, this time to a post as administrative assistant and social secretary at the New Zeeland Embassy in Washington. On her return from Washington Miss Neely joined the staff of the law drafting office in Wellington, In 1954 sh- arrived in Kawerau to take up a post with the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company, Ltd. She is now secretary to the mill manager, Mr H. E. Pelletier. Kawerau has used Miss Neely’s talent* in many ways. She is secretary to the local R.S.A., and also to the Kawerau Chamber of Commerce, a* well as president of the Kawerau Business and Professional Women’s Club.