Leila Agnes Sophie Hurle (5 June 1901 – 24 February 1989) was a New Zealand principal and senior school inspector. She was born in

New Plymouth New Plymouth () is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, in Devon, from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. The New Pl ...

, New Zealand on 5 June 1901. She is buried at Te Henui Cemetery in New Plymouth. As a high school student at New Plymouth Girls’ High School in 1920, Hurle won honorable mention in the Royal Colonial Institute Essay Competition, open to students in all the British colonies, and won the Empire Day Essay Challenge Cup for her school. She received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

from

Otago University The University of Otago () is a public 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 Oceania. The university was created by ...

, where she won the James Clark Prize in Latin. She worked at New Plymouth Girls’ High School for five years, studied French at the Sorbonne, and returned to New Zealand to teach languages at

Christchurch Girls' High School Christchurch Girls' High School () in Christchurch, New Zealand, was established in 1877 and is the second oldest girls-only secondary school in the country, after Otago Girls' High School. History Christchurch Girls' High School was establishe ...

for eight years, before being appointed as headmaster of

Timaru Girls' High School Timaru Girls' High School is a secondary school in Timaru, New Zealand, founded in 1880. Timaru Girls' High provides education for girls aged between 13–18 years of age (class levels – years 9 to 13). It also has a boarding facility within ...

in 1938. Also published i
New Zealand Herald
an
Auckland Star
She returned to New Plymouth Girls’ High School as headmaster in 1942, a position she held in parallel to being a school inspector. In 1947, she led the inaugural panel selecting students for post-primary teacher training bursaries. New Plymouth Girls' High School awards a Leila Hurle prize at its annual prize giving.

References

1901 births 1989 deaths New Zealand women academics School inspectors Christchurch Girls' High School faculty Burials at Te Henui Cemetery People from New Plymouth University of Otago alumni People educated at New Plymouth Girls' High School {{NewZealand-academic-bio-stub

Further reading

References