Esther Ellen Ongley was a New Zealand lawyer. She was one of the first women to graduate in law and work as a lawyer in New Zealand. Ongley was educated at Waitaki Girls' High School and studied for a bachelor of arts degree at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington (), also known by its shorter names "VUW" or "Vic", is a public university, public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and w ...

, graduating in 1916. She then moved to the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

and completed a law degree in 1919. Ongley was admitted to the bar in 1921, becoming the eighth woman to be admitted in New Zealand. She spent her career working for a law firm in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

References

People educated at Waitaki Girls' High School Victoria University of Wellington alumni 20th-century New Zealand lawyers 20th-century New Zealand women lawyers {{NewZealand-law-bio-stub