Dame Norma Janet Holyoake ( Ingram; 7 March 1909 – 18 December 1984) was a New Zealand community leader. She was the

spouse A spouse is a significant other in a marriage. A female spouse is called a wife while a male spouse is called a husband. Married The legal status of a spouse, and the specific rights and obligations associated with that status, vary signific ...

Keith Holyoake Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake (11 February 1904 – 8 December 1983) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 26th prime minister of New Zealand, serving for a brief period in 1957 and then from 1960 to 1972, and also as the 13th governor-g ...

, who served as

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

in 1957 and from 1960 to 1972. She was viceregal consort between 1977 and 1980 during her husband's term as

governor-general Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

Biography

Norma Janet Ingram was born on 7 March 1909. Her sister was Laura Ingram. She twice married

: first in a civil ceremony on 24 September 1934, and again on 11 January 1935 at their

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

church in

Motueka Motueka is a town in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the mouth of the Motueka River on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is the second largest in the Tasman Region, with a population of as of The surrounding district has a numb ...

. The couple had five children: two sons and three daughters. She died on 18 December 1984, aged 75.

Honours and awards

In 1977, Holyoake was awarded the

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal () is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is physically identical in all realms where it was awarded, save for Canada ...

. The same year, she was made a

Commander of the Order of St John The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedica ...

. In the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a

Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...

, for public services since 1935. Later that year, in a special honours list on her husband's leaving the office of governor-general, she was made a

Companion of the Queen's Service Order The King's Service Order () established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant of Queen regnant, Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, is used to recognise "valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to t ...

for community service.

References

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Holyoake, Norma 1909 births 1984 deaths Commanders of the Order of St John Companions of the Queen's Service Order New Zealand Dames Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Spouses of New Zealand governors-general Spouses of prime ministers of New Zealand