118 years ago today women first got the right to vote

And it happened in little New Zealand.

Such an amazing claim to world history and yet it will probably go unnoticed while our country focuses on rugby. Anyway I’ve done my bit and dropping some white camellias next to the hideous Suffrage fountain on Khartoum Place. I’ve come to realise that maybe Kate would have liked the memorial, after all she picked the ugliest flowers to spread her cause.

You should put some flowers down if you’re in the area. Or tweet your TV station of choice and tell them to do a story on suffrage. Or get your feminine hygiene client to run a really cool campaign about it. Just do something to acknowledge what Kate and the girls did for us.

But most importantly exercise your right to vote!!! I dare you to pick someone other than who your parents vote for. Visit political compass and find out who best represents your opinions and go do your thing for democracy.

26 November you’ll find me at my favourite polling booth, the High Court on the site of Auckland’s parliament.

This view of Parliament Buildings (far left) and St Paul’s, above Mechanics Bay, is from Parnell Rise. Andrew Robertson, Auckland from Parnell, 1859