Kathleen Woodhouse

Press, 5 December 1986, Page 33

Kathleen Woodhouse

PA Timaru Miss’ Kathleen Ngita Woodhouse, who died in Timaru recently, was a well-known musician, teacher, gardener, writer and broadcaster. She was 93. Miss Woodhouse was born in Dunedin in 1893 and was educated at St Hilda’s Collegiate School. She taught music in Dunedin for a few years after leaving school, had her own studio hnd was on the staff of two board-

ing schools. Later she went to Wellington to live with her sister, Alice. Gardening had always been a hobby and she began by growing flowers for shops. She transferred to Palmerston North, where she stayed for several years and supervised five gardens. It was at this time that Miss Woodhouse started her career in journalism by writing weekly articles for New Zealand newspapers and for an Australian gardening magazine.

Miss Woodhouse began broadcasting in 1949, giving weekly gardening talks over 2ZB. Later she broadcast over 2YA and joined the national link. She compiled scripts at the beginning of each gardening season and broadcast them on the national “Feminine Viewpoint” programme. They were also broadcast in Australia, Canada, and Thailand. In 1968 she wrote “Flowers for Four Seasons,” published by A. H. and A. W. Reed.