Monica Romaine Brewster (née Govett; 10 February 1886 – 13 December 1973) was a New Zealand arts patron and women's rights advocate. She is best known as the founding benefactor of the

Govett-Brewster Art Gallery The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is a contemporary art museum at New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. The gallery receives core funding from the New Plymouth District Council. Govett-Brewster is recognised internationally for contemporary art. ...

Early life

Born on 10 February 1886 in

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) 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, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. Th ...

, New Zealand, she was the youngest of four daughters. Her father was Clement Govett, barrister and founder of the Govett-Quilliam law firm. Her paternal grandfather was Henry Govett, vicar of St Mary's Church and first archdeacon of Taranaki. Her mother was Frances Elizabeth Atkinson. Brewster's maternal grandfather was

Harry Atkinson Sir Harry Albert Atkinson (1 November 1831 – 28 June 1892) served as the tenth premier of New Zealand on four separate occasions in the late 19th century, and was Colonial Treasurer for a total of ten years. He was responsible for guiding ...

, Premier of New Zealand for five terms during 1876 to 1891. She attended

Wanganui Girls' College Whanganui Girls' College is located in Jones Street Whanganui near the Dublin Street Bridge. The school is one of the oldest single sex educational facilities in New Zealand, founded in 1891. Principals * Mary Isabel Fraser Notable alumnae * ...

, and Chetwode School in New Plymouth. She married Rex Carrington Brewster at

Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whanga ...

on 21 September 1920. A doctor, he had served as a medical officer with the New Zealand Medical Corps in Palestine during World War I, and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

in February 1918. His grandfather was the surveyor Octavius Carrington, who was the brother of

Frederic Carrington Frederic Alonzo Carrington (Oct 1807 – 15 July 1901) was a 19th-century New Zealand politician and surveyor. He is regarded as the Father of New Plymouth. Carrington was born in Chelmsford, Essex, England, in 1807, the son of Captain Willia ...

, regarded as the "father of New Plymouth".

Career

With a privileged background and as a major benefactor of her father's estate (her parents died in 1914 and 1918), Brewster had the means to pursue her interests in travel, the arts and culture. Brewster was active in the Taranaki Women's Club, established in 1926, becoming president in 1931. She was a representative on the National Council of Women and helped found the Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust. In 1939, in the months preceding World War II, Brewster and her friend,

Elsie Andrews Elsie Euphemia Andrews (23 December 1888 – 26 August 1948) was a New Zealand teacher and community leader. She was born in Huirangi, Taranaki, New Zealand, on 23 December 1888. Her parents were John Andrews and his wife, Emily Young, who ...

, courted controversy when they publicly declared that they were

conscientious objector A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to obje ...

s. Rex Brewster died in 1952 and the couple did not have any children. In 1962, she transferred £50,000 by trust deed to New Plymouth Council to establish an art gallery. The then-unused Regent cinema building in Queen Street was purchased and the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery was opened in 1970. Brewster later gifted $72,000 to create a collection. Brewster died of pneumonia on 13 December 1973, and her ashes were buried at

Te Henui Cemetery Te Henui Cemetery, also known as New Plymouth Cemetery, is the oldest public cemetery in New Plymouth, New Zealand. It was first used in 1861. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "the great mistake" for . De ...

Legacy

The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery continues as a successful and well-regarded contemporary art gallery. In 2015, a cafe at the Gallery was opened and named "Monica's Eatery" after Brewster. The Gallery also holds monthly events featuring artists speaking on their work, which are called "Monica Brewster Evenings".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brewster, Monica 1973 deaths 1886 births New Zealand conscientious objectors Burials at Te Henui Cemetery People from Taranaki Atkinson–Hursthouse–Richmond family Deaths from pneumonia in New Zealand People educated at Whanganui Girls' College