Mavis Tiller

Mavis Ada Tiller CBE (née Gell; 1901–1989) was a New Zealand women's advocate, scientist and president of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) from 1966 to 1970.

Mavis Tiller
Born
Mavis Ada Gell

1901 (1901)
Died1989 (aged 87–88)
Nationality New Zealand
Occupation
  • Women's advocate
  • scientist
Known forPresident of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (1966–1970)
Spouse(s)
Leslie Walter Tiller
​
​
(m. 1937; died 1981)​
Children3

Early life and career

Tiller was born in Wellington, New Zealand. Her father worked for the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department for some years, but when she was young the family moved to London.[1][2]

Tiller attended Bedford College, London, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree (second class honours) in chemistry from the University of London in 1923.[3] After graduating she first worked as science mistress at the Roedean School, Johannesburg,[2] and subsequently worked in the metallurgy department at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington. In 1937 she married Leslie Tiller, a fellow New Zealander and scientist, at St Alban's Church.[1][4] They returned to live in Wellington where they had a daughter, born in 1938, and two sons born in 1941 and 1944.[5][6][7]

Activism

From the early 1950s, Tiller was involved with many organisations including the Wellington Mothers' Helpers Association, the Women's Migration and Overseas Appointments Society, the NCWNZ, the International Council of Women (ICW), and the United Nations Association of Wellington.[8][9]

From 1966 to 1970 she served as the president of the NCWNZ. She was instrumental in modernising the organisation and in establishing the Parliamentary Watch Committee, which became an effective advocate for women by making submissions on bills and discussion papers.[10][11] In the 1971 Birthday Honours she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for this role.[12] From 1973 to 1982 she served as the vice-convenor, then convenor, of the ICW's Standing Committee on International Relations and Peace.[8]

In the 1987 New Year Honours she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the community.[13][14]

Tiller was appointed to the Royal Commission on Social Security in 1969, which reported in 1972. She was the only woman on the commission and the first woman to sit on a Royal Commission in New Zealand for 30 years.[9][15] Historian Dorothy Page has said that it was only as a result of Tiller asking the National Development Council at a conference session, "Where are the women?", that Miriam Dell was subsequently appointed as the first woman on the Council in 1969.[15]

References
  1. "Overseas Weddings: Tiller–Gell". New Zealand Herald. 12 October 1937. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  2. "Women's Corner". Press. 1 August 1924. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  3. "Bachelor of Science: Honours and Higher Degrees: Internal Students". British History Online. University of London Press. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  4. "Personal". Poverty Bay Herald. 11 May 1936. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  5. "Births". Evening Post. 12 October 1938. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  6. "Births". Evening Post. 4 October 1941. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  7. "Births". Evening Post. 10 March 1944. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  8. "Tiller, Mavis Ada, 1901-1989". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  9. "Tiller, Mavis Ada, 1901-1989: Papers". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  10. Macdonald, Charlotte (Winter 1997). "In for the long haul". New Zealand Review of Books (30). Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  11. Jones, Heidi (2013). A Historical Analysis Of The Status Of Women In New Zealand: Has Cedaw Had An Impact? (PDF) (Masters of Laws). University of Waikato. p. 30. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  12. "No. 45386". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 12 June 1971. pp. 5997–6000.
  13. "No. 50766". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1986. pp. 33–37.
  14. "New Year honours 1987" (PDF). Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette (3). 16 January 1987. pp. 91–93.
  15. Page, Dorothy (1996). The National Council of Women, A Centennial History. Auckland, NZ: Auckland University Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-8694-0154-2. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
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