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Kate Sheppard National Memorial

The Kate Sheppard National Memorial in Christchurch is New Zealand’s first memorial to the women’s suffrage campaign and honours Kate Sheppard, one of the country’s leading suffrage campaigners. Designed by Dutch-born New Zealand artist Margriet Windhausen, it was selected from plans raised in 1989 to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage. The memorial consists of a stone aggregate wall with a life-size bronze relief sculpture of Sheppard and five other suffrage leaders, alongside panels showing everyday women’s lives in the late nineteenth century and text about the struggle for the vote. Unveiled on 19 September 1993, it stands in the Kate Sheppard National Memorial Reserve beside the Avon River near Our City in Christchurch.

Kate Sheppard National Memorial bronze relief with plaques beside a brick building
The Kate Sheppard National Memorial in Christchurch, showing bronze relief panels and nearby information plaques.
January 2007 © · CC BY 2.0
Three women stand in front of the Kate Sheppard National Memorial bronze relief sculpture.
Three women pose beside the Kate Sheppard National Memorial bronze relief sculpture.
September 1993 © Archives New Zealand · CC BY 2.0
Close-up of the Kate Sheppard National Memorial bronze relief showing women in period clothing around a scroll and small wheeled cart.
A close-up view of the Kate Sheppard National Memorial bronze relief in Christchurch, showing women in period dress and a scroll being unrolled into a small cart.
January 2007 © · CC BY 2.0
Bronze relief of six women on the Kate Sheppard National Memorial, with the central figure holding a rolled document.
Close-up of the Kate Sheppard National Memorial bronze relief showing six women in historical dress.
June 2014 © · CC0
Close-up of a bronze relief on the Kate Sheppard National Memorial showing several women’s faces in profile.
Close-up detail of the Kate Sheppard National Memorial’s bronze relief, showing a row of women in profile.
December 2008 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleKate Sheppard National Memorial
TypeNational memorial

Historical context

SubjectThe campaign for women’s suffrage in New Zealand
PurposeCommemorates the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand
Idea proposed1989

Creator

DesignerMargriet Windhausen, a New Zealand artist of Dutch origin
Selection processA committee selected the design for the memorial

Materials

Main structureStone aggregate wall
Sculpture materialBronze

Physical characteristics

DepictionLife-size sculpture of Kate Sheppard and five other women’s suffrage leaders
DimensionsApproximately 5 metres wide and 2 metres high

Appearance

Flanking panelsPanels on each side depict scenes of everyday women’s lives in the late 19th century and include text about the struggle for women’s suffrage

Location and ownership

Nearby buildingOur City (the former municipal chambers)
Associated siteKate Sheppard National Memorial Reserve
LocationKate Sheppard National Memorial Reserve, Christchurch, New Zealand, beside the Avon River near the corner of Worcester Street and Oxford Terrace, adjacent to Our City (the former municipal chambers)

Iconography and meaning

HonoreeKate Sheppard, one of New Zealand’s leading campaigners for women’s suffrage
CommemorationPays tribute to Kate Sheppard and the women’s suffrage campaign in New Zealand
Depicted actionThe women are shown carrying their petition for women’s suffrage to Parliament in a wooden cart

History and restoration

Unveiled19 September 1993
Unveiling occasionThe 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand
Unveiled byDame Catherine Tizard, Governor-General of New Zealand
Time capsuleA time capsule containing newspaper articles and information about women’s lives in 1993 was placed inside the monument
Earthquake impactOur City was damaged in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, and the memorial was behind barricades while the building was assessed
Public access restoredPublic access was restored in June 2014 in a ceremony presided over by Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel

Significance

Heritage statusAdded to the Heritage New Zealand register as a Category I entry in March 2025
SignificanceNew Zealand’s first memorial dedicated to the women’s suffrage campaign