Elsie Mary Griffin (1 November 1884 – 3 May 1968) was a New Zealand botany teacher and community organisation administrator. She was born in

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

South Otago South Otago lies in the south east of the South Island of New Zealand. As the name suggests, it forms the southernmost part of the geographical region of Otago. The exact definition of the area designated as South Otago is imprecise, as the area ...

, New Zealand, on 1 November 1884.

Biography

Elsie Mary Griffin was married to Cornelius Griffin, a

Wesleyan Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charle ...

minister. The Griffins moved to Auckland province when she was 16 years old. Elsie Griffin had attended the Methodist

Prince Albert College Wesley College is a secondary school in Paerata, at the northern edge of Pukekohe, Auckland Region, New Zealand. The school provides education from year 9 to 13. The school was founded by members of the Methodist Church in 1844, making it one ...

Queen Street, Auckland Queen Street is the major commercial thoroughfare in the Auckland CBD, Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. The northern end is at Queens Wharf, Auckland, Queens Wharf on the Auckland waterfront, adjacent to the Britomart Transport Centre and ...

, and in 1906 she was awarded an MA with honours in botany from

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 ...

. In that year she took up a position as the botany mistress at

Auckland Girls' Grammar School Auckland Girls' Grammar School (AGGS) is a New Zealand secondary school for girls located in Newton, New Zealand, Newton, Auckland. Established in 1878 as Auckland Girls' High School, it is one of the oldest secondary institutions in the countr ...

. Elsie Griffin took her pupils on long hikes in the

Waitākere Ranges The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland, New Zealand, West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. ...

so that they could collect specimens. She was described as a lively and enthusiastic woman, and characteristics that enabled her to get along with her students successfully. While she was a teacher she became involved with the

Young Women's Christian Association The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swit ...

in Auckland. In 1908 she helped form a study group composed of university graduates. In 1910 she led a Bible study circle and served on the Evangelistic Committee. She was the secretary of the YWCA in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

from 1912 to 1915, and it was this experience that led her to spend the next two years studying social work methods in America. In 1917 she returned to Auckland to serve as the secretary of the local YWCA.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffin, Elsie Mary 1884 births 1968 deaths New Zealand schoolteachers People from Lawrence, New Zealand 20th-century New Zealand botanists 20th-century New Zealand women scientists University of Auckland alumni People educated at Prince Albert College New Zealand women botanists