DISTRICT OFFICER

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34031, 20 December 1975, Page 6

DISTRICT OFFICER

> r.V.Z. Press Assn —Copyright.) i WELLINGTON. The Secretary for Justice: (Mr G. S. Orr) has announced the appointment of the first woman to be made a district probation officer |in New Zealand. She is Miss E. G. Avenell. Iwho will become district • probation officer in Auckland. the largest probation district in the country. Miss Avenell has been act-ing-district probation officer in Auckland this year and now resumes full-time rei sponsibility for more than : 1400 probationers and parolees and five periodic- : detention centres as well as four hostels. Miss Avenell, after serving in the armed forces in New 7 Zealand and overseas. was appointed as an inspector with the Department of Industries and Commerce at Auckland in 1946.

In 1951 she transferred to: the Justice Department as senior probation officer for women. The position was based at: Auckland. Miss Avenell was: an adviser on all matters relating to female probationers and was actively involved in setting up a probation hostel: and periodic-detention centre for women, Mr Orr said. She had been involved in most; areas of planning and expansion in the probation service. Miss Avenell is the departmental representative on the Lady Fergusson Advisory Committee on ill-treatment of children. In 1974 Miss Avenell was appointed assistant district probation officer, Auckland, and she has been acting as the district probation officer this year.