MISS DALRYMPLE DEAD.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 2459, 10 September 1906, Page 2

MISS DALRYMPLE DEAD.

Under the above beading the Dunedin Star says:—Miss Dalrymple, one of the greatest of Otago’s 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 concerned the welfare of women Miss Dalrymple was a vigorous worker. But most of all her name stands out in the sphere of education. 'lhe Otago Girls’ High School is a monument to her unresting zeal and labour. In the words of Mrs W. H. Reynolds (as she unveiled a portrait of Aliss Dalrymple in the school): “We will not stay to argue whether she was the originator of the idea. All will agree that she at least seized the practical side of the idea, end never ceased her agitation and action till the Otago Girls’ High School was an accomplished fact.” It was in 1864 that Miss Dalrymple began her agitation for the school. She felt that in her girlhood she had i ot had the education that the soul ,vithiu her thirsted for, and she became imbued with the idea that if the future mothers of Otago were bo be saved hopeless yearnings for the culture of their higher nature their plea must be voiced by the women of the province. Thus she resolved that no energy should be wanting on her part to reach the desired end. And so she set out upon her work, which was a great work, and a long work, and often a disheartening work. For even in Great Britain in those days the subject of higher education for girls was one of new interest. and her first task was to sweep away a whole forest of unconcern. After that she must sow the seeds of conviction, and nurture them carefully till they should bear fruit iu due season. All this she did—not alone, but as prime mover. She made her first appeal to Major (after, wards Sir John) Richardson, who v. as then Superintendent of the province, and from him came back a cheering response and a practical plan of action, 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 those days the sex were timid, and many were unable to bring themselves to sign a public document. However, Miss Dalrymple never allowed file subject to drop till 1870. In that time she had penned about seven or eight hundred letters, papers, etc. In 1868 Mr (afterwards Sir Julius) Vogel, the Provincial Treasurer, was moved to put an item of £IOOO on the estimates for the erection of the school. That item was not passed. Up to that time Miss Dalrymple had failed to interest Mr Macandrew. the Provincial Superintendent, in the project, but as the result of an invitation from Mrs Macandrew to come round the bay and “have a good long chat,” the Superintendent was gathered in. He gave instructions to Dr Hislop (then Mr Hislop) to sketch proposals, and these appeared in the schedule to the Education Report of 1868. The Press gave support, and a Commis-

sion was appointed to inquire into the matter. The outcome of this \as a recommendation that a girls’ seminary be established as soon as possible, and in February, 1871, the school was opened. In memory of Miss Dalrymple's work in this regard a portrait of her was hang in the school, and was unveiled on the occasion of the annual prize distribution on 16th December, 1896. JEiss Dalrymple was associated with nany other social movements, and at her passing the women of Otago had to mourn the loss of a great patroness and frfend.