Leaving Local Body Work

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30827, 12 August 1965, Page 2

Leaving Local Body Work

For the first time in 21 years Christchurch city electors will not read Miss Mary McLean’s name on a ballot paper at the local body elections on October 9. After long City Council and North Canterbury Hospital Board service, Miss McLean has retired from local body representation. As a Citizens’ Association member, Miss McLean has been on the City Council for 21 years. She had two terms as chairman of the traffic committee and the distinction of being the only woman member of the New Zealand Traffic Institute. She also served for nine years on the North Canterbury Hospital Board. Service to women has

always been Miss McLean’s predominating interest. Often it has taken precedence over her business as a physiotherapist. Miss McLean joined the N.Z. Army Nursing Service as a masseuse in 1918 and on demobilisation began private practice in Christchurch. She has taken a leading part in the activities of her profession. Physiotherapist For three years she was national president of the New Zealand Physiotherapists’ Association. As such she personally approached Mr Peter Fraser, then Prime Minister of New Zealand, with a request that social security benefits be made available to patients receiving physiotherapy treatment. The request was eventually granted. Mary McLean has made three visits to the United States and one to Britain and Europe, where she always made a point of visiting hos-

pitals and clinics to observe new methods of physiotherapy. Miss McLean attended the last session of the League of Nations in Geneva before the Second World War and has attended sessions of the United Nations three times. “I think the United Nations is doing a wonderful job and a most difficult one,” Miss McLean said last evening. She is planning another

visit to the United States next year. Outside her local body service Miss McLean has been a leader in women’s organisations. She held office as president of the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women for a total of eight years. She was president of the Christchurch area group of the Pan-Pacific and South-east Asia Women’s Association for nine years and for four years was National president. For some years she was national secreKof Pan-Pacific and helped the international confer-

ences of the organisation when it was held in Christchurch in 1952. As national secretary she was instrumental in forming the Christchurch area group. With her wide understanding of the work she was a New Zealand delegate to PanPacific women’s conferences in Hawaii, Manila, Tokyo, Canberra and Nukualofa. Aged and Children A woman with a deep concern for the welfare of the aged and children, Miss McLean served on the board of governors of the McLean Institute for eight years and was six years a member of the Cholmondeley Children’s Home committee. Of her years on the City Council, Miss McLean said: “1 have worked with some very fine people there and I deeply appreciate the friendships I have made among councillors.” The public had always given her wonderful support, she said. “Local body service is most interesting work and though I am not one to tell other women what to do. 1 fee) there is a place for women on the City Council as in all other fields of public life,” Miss McLean said.