WELLINGTON WOMEN AND THEIR WORK

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 257, 26 July 1930, Page 22

WELLINGTON WOMEN AND THEIR WORK

Mrs.

J. P. Firth

Mrs. J. P. Firth, the wife of the popular ei-Headmastcr of Wellington College lias been closely associated with the care of many young lives, and on her husband’s retirement she received words of rare appreciation from old boys of the college living in all parts of the Dominion. As a keen follower of sport, she was interested in boys’ games, cricket.' football and tennis, and on the annual sports days, and old boys’ day, acted as hostess to many hundreds of parents and friends during the years that Mr. Firth was in charge of the college, and even to-day she is keenly interested. as is her husband, in all the boys who passed under her care while at school.

Mrs. Firth take* an active part in golf, and was an early member of the Wellington Golf Club. She was for some years captain of the ladies’ section of the Miramar Golf Club, and a generous supporter of its activities. During the war Mrs. Firth was an active member of the committee organising the Red Cross Shop on Lambton Quay, which was the means of raising £lO,OOO, spent on comforts for the New Zealand sick and wounded soldiers. Nfauy people remember the largo art unions which were conducted by this committee, entailing a great deal of work. For her work during the war in this and other ways, Mrs. Firth was offered a war honour, but she declined it, Mrs. Firth has always taken a keen interest iu all Empire activities. She and her husband are intensely patriotic, and both worked for many years in the Navy League, Mrs. Firth being president of the Ladies’ Auxiliary at a time when there was much activity in looking after men on overseas warships and other vessels, and in raising money for war activities. She is now a life-member of the League, and a V tceI’resident of the Wellington branch.

Knowing intimately so many men killed in the war, it is natural that Mrs. Firth should be one of the committee controlling the War Memorial now being erected at the corner of Lambton Quay and Bowen Street, and she was a keen worker during the campaign to raise money. She was also on the. committee of the Community Club, which was recognised as a most useful enterprise to help and encourage young men in the defence of their country, and she is on the present committee which is showing renewed activity in tlie interests of national defence. Mrs. Firth was also one of the committee and the treasurer for the fund raised by the women of Wellington to supply new colours to the Wellington Regiment.

One of the first members of the Citizens’ Day Nursery, a successful work of great benefit to mothers and guardians who wish to leave their children in a safe home while they are at their daily labour, Mrs. Firth has been treasurer of this institution for many years. She was one of the founders of the Pioneer Club,, the first women’s club in Wellington, and has remained an active member ever since. In 1913 Mrs. Firth was one of the committee who set out to raise money for beautifying the city. Sir John Luke (then Mr. Luke) was Mayor and a huge fete at Newtown Park was arranged, and a large sum of money raised was devoted to a scheme for laying out in the vicinity of Nairn Street, an awarkedly sloped portion of land, now Central Park, the gates of which were given by Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Liikc.

Mrs Firth has twice visited England, and travelled in many parts of the Homeland. She remembers well a trip in the express train between Pans and Calais, when the train was derailed. In the midst of falling baggage and general disorder, she ran to the corridor calling out: “Don’t be frightened, we are all right.” Afterwards she was proudly told that her words saved the situation. No one was hurt, though the compartment turned over. i

Mrs. Firth now has a charming homo on the Wadeslown hills, with one of the finest views in Wellington/ or. in fact, anywhere else. Here with her husband and her garden she has her chief interests.