MISS DALRYMPLE DEAD.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 833, 4 September 1906, Page 3

MISS DALRYMPLE DEAD.

Under the above headiog the Dunedin

Star says :—Miss Dalrymple, one of the greatest of Otago'a women, died on Sunday night. For. about a year she had ailed, To the young people of to-day the name of Miss Dalrymple may mean nothing; to those of an elder generation it means much. In all things that oonoerned the welfare of women Miss Dalrymple was a vigorous tfprJter. Bat most of all her name stands out in the sphere of education. ■The Otago Girls' High Sohool is a 'monument to her unresting zeal and labour. In the words of Mrs W. H. Bevnolds (as she unveiled a portrait of Miss Dalrymple in the schoo): "We will not stay to argue whether she was the originator of the idea. All will agree that she at least seized the praoiieal side of the idea, and never ceased her agitation and aotion till the Otago Girls' High School was an accomplished faot." It was in 1861 that Miss Dalrymple began her agitation for tb» schrol. Bhefelt that in her girlhood she bad not had the eduoation that the • soul within her thirsted for, and she became imbued with the idea that if tho

'future mothers of Otago were to be

estved hopleless yearnings for the culture *A iheir higher nature their plea must be Voioed by the women of the province. Jnus she resolved that no energy should be wanting on her part to reaoh the desired end. And so she set out upon her work, whioh was a great work, and a long w,ork, and. often a disheartening work. For even in Great Britain in those days the subjeot of higher eduoation for girls was one of new interest, and her first task was to sweep away a wnole forest of unoonoern. After that ib< must sow the seeds of conviction, »uJ nurture them carefully till they should" bear fruit in due season. All ' tnis she did—not alone, but as prime mover. She made her first appeal to Major (afterwards Sir John) Biohardson, who was then Superintendent of the province, and from him came back a cheering response and a praotioal plan of Mtion, which she followed tirelessly. She sent a memorial to the Provincial Council asking for a grant, and about a dozen copies of that memorial were circulated throughout the province for signature by women. But in thoße days the Bex was timid, and many wero unable to bring themselves to Bign a publio document. However, Miss Dalrymple never allowed the subjeot to drop till |970. In that time she had penned About seven or eight hundred letters, Sapers, etc In 1868 Mr (afterwards »r Julius) Vogel, the Provincial Treasurer, was moved to put an item of AIOOO on the estimates for the ereotion of the school. That item was not passed. Up to that time Miss Dalrymple had * failed to interest Mr Msoandrew, the ' Superintendent, in tho projeot ■but as the result of an invitation from Mrs Machndrew to oome round tbe biy 'and " have a good long chat," the ' waß gathered in. He ,'gave instructions to Dr Hislop (then Mr Hialop) to sketch proposals, and these appeared in the schedule to the Education Report of 1868. The Press gave support, and e Commission was appointed to inquire into the matter. The outcome of this was a recommendation that s'girls' seminary be established as soon M possible, and in February, 1871, the school was opened. In memory of Miss Dalrymple'a work in this regard a portrait of her was hung in the eohool, and -eyas unveiled on the occasion of tho annual prize distribution on 16th December, 1896. Miss Dalrymple was as•oeiated with many other sooial movetalents, and at her passing the women of Otago have to mourn the loss of a great patroness and friend.