Fanny Irvine-Smith

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Fanny Irvine-Smith
Irvine-Smith in 1929
BornNapier Edit this on Wikidata
Educationmaster's degree Edit this on Wikidata
OccupationTeacher Edit this on Wikidata
Employer

Fanny Louise Irvine-Smith (10 September 1878 – 20 December 1948) was a New Zealand teacher, lecturer and writer.

Early life

Irvine-Smith was born in Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand on 10 September 1878.[1] Her father Thomas Smith died in a shipping accident when she was six months old, and her mother Margaret (née Sproule) later remarried.[1]

Education

Irvine-Smith attended

Victoria University College, continuing to also teach in schools in Hawkes Bay and Taranaki, until finally graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1908.[1] While a student, she was active in student clubs, and was co-founder and co-editor of the student magazine The Spike.[2] She both wrote and drew sketches for the magazine for a number of years.[3]

In 1920 Irvine-Smith returned to Victoria and completed a Master of Arts degree in History.[1]

Career

After completing her master's degree, Irvine-Smith moved from secondary school teaching to a lecturing position at

Wellington Teachers College. She lectured in New Zealand history and Māori culture
, subjects rarely taught in New Zealand institutions at the time.

Irvine-Smith was also president of the Teachers' College dramatic society and encouraged many students to become involved in acting, both at the college and in Wellington's repertory theatres.[2]

After retiring from lecturing in 1932, Irvine-Smith began researching Wellington's history, writing a book The Streets of My City, in which she examined the city's development through the names of its streets and the people who lived there.[2] The book was published just after Irvine-Smith died in 1948, and the first edition sold out in two weeks. The book is still used as a resource on Wellington history to this day.[4]

In 1947, Irvine-Smith successfully organised a petition to the Wellington City Council for a library to be established in the suburb of Khandallah.[5]

Legacy

Fanny Irvine-Smith bookplate

The Khandallah Library has a F.L. Irvine-Smith Memorial Collection, a collection of New Zealand works purchased with funds from the royalties of Irvine-Smith's book.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Bremner, Julie. "Fanny Louise Irvine-Smith". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  2. ^
    ISBN 0908912048
    .
  3. ^ Barrowman, Rachel (1999). Victoria University of Wellington 1899–1999 A History. Wellington, New Zealand: Victoria University Press. p. 83.
  4. ^ Hyde, Chris (9 May 2012). "Khandallah's landmark road". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Khandallah Library". www.wcl.govt.nz. Retrieved 27 February 2016.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fanny_Irvine-Smith&oldid=1165909382"