Augusta Wallace (judge)
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Dame Georgina Catriona Pamela Augusta Wallace (née Dunlop, 11 October 1929 – 12 April 2008), generally known as Augusta Wallace, was the first woman in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
to be appointed as a judge to the
District Court District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations, some call them "small case court" usually as the lowest level of the hierarchy. These courts generally work under a higher court which exercises control over the lower co ...
in 1976; she served for 18 years.


Biography

Georgina Catriona Pamela Augusta Dunlop was educated in Howick School,
Epsom Girls' Grammar School Epsom Girls Grammar School (often simplified to Epsom Girls, or EGGS) is a state secondary school for girls ranging from years 9 to 13 in Auckland, New Zealand. It has a roll of 2,200 as of 2025, making it one of the largest schools in New Zeala ...
, and
Auckland University College The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loca ...
where she graduated and was admitted to the bar in 1954. She practiced on her own account as a sole practitioner in
Papatoetoe Papatoetoe is a suburb in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest suburb in Auckland by population and is located to the northwest of Manukau, Manukau Central, and southeast of Auckland CBD. Papatoetoe was traditionally an important area fo ...
for 11 years. In September 1975 she became the first woman to become a judge when she was appointed to the District Court bench. She sat at the Auckland District Court for nearly fifteen years, transferred to the Otahuhu District Court for a short time, and finally was based at the Papakura District Court.''Obituary'' in Dominion Post, 17 April 2008, page B7 Wallace had a long record of community service and extensive judicial experience. In 1990 Wallace was at the centre of a review into courtroom security after she was attacked by a 16-year-old with a machete while serving at the Otahuhu District Court and was seriously injured. In 1996 Wallace was appointed as a member of the
Waitangi Tribunal The Waitangi Tribunal (Māori: ''Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi'') is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. It is charged with investigating and making recommendations on c ...
by then Minister of Maori Affairs,
John Luxton Murray John Finlay Luxton (14 September 1946 – 16 November 2021) was a New Zealand National Party politician, serving as a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2002. From 2008 to 2015, he was the Chairman of DairyNZ, the organisation that repres ...
.


Honours

In the
1993 Queen's Birthday Honours The 1993 Queen's Birthday honours were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of the Queen's b ...
, Wallace was appointed a
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
.


Affiliations

Wallace was Patron to a number of community organisations including Age Concern New Zealand, the Hope Foundation, and Victim Support. She was also a trustee of the Child Development Foundation of New Zealand.Age Concern New Zealand mourns patron
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Death

She died in
Manukau Manukau (), or Manukau Central, is a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand, centred on the Manukau City Centre business district. It is located 23 kilometres south of the Auckland Central Business District, west of the Southern Motorway, ...
, Auckland on 4 April 2008, aged 78, following a long illness.


Family

She married Neville Alan Wallace, a career army officer, in 1955; he retired from the army in the 1970s, and qualified as a lawyer in 1976. They were survived by a daughter and five grandchildren.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Augusta 1929 births 2008 deaths New Zealand Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire District Court of New Zealand judges 20th-century New Zealand judges New Zealand women judges Lawyers from Auckland Place of birth missing University of Auckland alumni People educated at Epsom Girls' Grammar School Members of the Waitangi Tribunal 20th-century women judges Lawyers awarded damehoods