Quick Facts
Biography
Olive Evelyn Smuts-Kennedy(née Wright, 23 March 1925 – 19 December 2013) was an activist and local politician in Wellington, New Zealand.
Biography
Early life
Olive Smuts-Kennedy was born on 23 March 1925. Her grandfather, Fortunatus Evelyn Wright was an early New Zealand settler, having arrived from England aboard the ship Samarang in 1852. She attended Auckland University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1951 and later a Bachelor of Law in 1955. She was admitted to the Bar that same year. She was involved with the women's rights organisation The Council for Equal Pay and Opportunity (affiliated with the National Council of Women) serving as its chairperson for a time and in 1964 she became a SEATO research fellow.
Political career
Smuts-Kennedy stood for election to the New Zealand House of Representatives for the Labour Party in four consecutive elections. She stood in Karori in 1960, Waimarino in 1963, Tauranga in 1966 and Wellington Central in 1969. She came in second place on every occasion. She also served as the President of the Wellington Labour Representation Committee.
In 1965 Smuts-Kennedy won a seat on the Wellington City Council on a Labour ticket which she was to hold until 1973 when she resigned. During her time as a councillor she was chairperson of the cultural, libraries and public relations committees.
Later life
In the 1990 Queen's Birthday Honours, Smuts-Kennedy was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.
She died 19 December 2013.
