By John O’Hare 

When a hand-written entry in a prescription book dating back to 1901 caught the eye of Amy Goodbehere while holidaying in Ōamaru, she couldn’t quite believe it. 

There, written in black ink over 120 years ago, was the name of her great, great, grand-aunt, Emily Mary Goodbehere.  

“It was a complete shock,” says Amy who works as Visitor Services Coordinator for Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House in Christchurch. 

A recent visit to the the historic dispensary in the old grainstore building in Ōamaru opened up a world of understanding about her aunt which has since inspired a personal and professional journey of discovery. 

“My research into Emily’s story really began when I was exploring the dispensary and just happened to look down and see my ancestor’s name in the book,” she says. 

“I saw that on February 24 1901, Emily was prescribed what looks like acid nitro murdie and pepsin, though it’s hard to be completely sure given the cursive writing. The prescription was most likely for a heart condition.” 

A quick check with Amy’s father, who has an extensive knowledge of the Goodbehere family tree, confirmed that it was indeed Emily Mary who sadly passed away at the Wellington Hospital a few months later at the age of 51. 

Emily had sailed from England out to Aotearoa New Zealand and settled in Feilding with her parents and siblings in 1880. The family was integral to the setting up of the new town with Emily’s father, Samuel, serving as mayor on three occasions.  

“Emily never married and ran a private school in Feilding. The only photo I have of her is with her students in 1894, the year after suffrage was granted. It appears that all of the students at her school were girls with the exception of the two little boys in the front row who were her nephews,” she says.  

“Emily was very involved in her faith, the Church of England, performing as an organist and teaching Sunday school. She also helped to further the interest of the Wesleyan and Presbyterian churches as well, and on her father’s passing was appointed Government Meteorologist for the district.” 

It was what Amy discovered next, however, that really got her intrigued. 

"I couldn’t be prouder and look forward to more surprises as I dive deeper into my family history"—Amy Goodbehere

“I was excited to find out that Emily served as treasurer and secretary for the Feilding branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union from 1896; positions that she fulfilled with ‘much Christian zeal and energy’ according to an obituary published after her death,” she says.  

“A notice of her passing in The White Ribbon – the first New Zealand newspaper written by women for women – acknowledged that ‘the Feilding branch could ill spare such a spirit’.” 

Leading suffragist Kate Sheppard, who was instrumental in ensuring the legislation that granted New Zealand women the vote was passed in September 1893, was a founding member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, becoming its National Superintendent of Franchise and Legislation in 1887.  

It was in this role that Kate Sheppard organised the petitions and the campaign to secure the vote for women in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her house – now cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga – was the nerve centre of the campaign.  

“The connection raises the question in my mind whether Emily and Kate Sheppard ever corresponded. It seems like it could be a possibility,” she says.   

Already, one of the mysteries around Emily appears to have been solved.  

“I always suspected my ancestors had signed the 1893 women’s suffrage petition, however I wasn’t able to find any of their names on the digitised version,” says Amy.  

“I did eventually come across the transcript of the 1892 petition on the NZ History website and found Emily Mary Goodbehere’s name there, signed in Feilding. I suspect that the Feilding area petition sheets of the 1893 edition were on a roll that went directly to parliament and have sadly since been lost.” 

Amy is relishing what she sees as a close family connection to her current place of work at Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House.  

“I couldn’t be prouder and look forward to more surprises as I dive deeper into my family history,” she says.