View from the saddle above Lake Howden, showing Lake Gunn
and part of Lake Fergus. - Otago Witness, 4.5.1911.
Professor Boys Smith is to be congratulated upon the
address she delivered on Tuesday evening before an audience
especially interested in the welfare of the University of
Otago, when she ably justified the inclusion in the
University's curriculum of a course of Domestic Science and
Home Economics.
She said that at the outset of the movement in which they
interested themselves the advocates of the higher education
of women contended for equality of privilege and opportunity
in the matter of university training, and they achieved
success by demonstrating by actual results the intellectual
ability of women to carry off the highest honours when in
competition with men.
This having been established, the contention was next
advanced that the time had arrived when woman was entitled to
a differentiated curriculum more in accordance with her
future destiny.
In other words, the argument is that woman, having been
compelled to go outside her recognised sphere in an attempt
to compel recognition of her claims to be an educated and
educative force in the community, is now entitled - due
recognition of the former fact having been accorded her - to
specialise in Home Economics for the ultimate benefit and
improvement of the race.
Theoretically this argument may be accepted as perfectly
sound, but it is not impossible that in actual practice many
serious obstacles may emerge; and it will be interesting to
observe to what extent Miss Boys Smith and her students will
be able to meet and overcome them.
We take it that her idea is to make the new chair worthy of
University tradition by raising what are ordinarily
considered the menial duties of what may broadly be described
as housewifery to the dignity of a science, and thus
indirectly to benefit the whole community.
It is clear from her realisation of the objections that are
most commonly advanced against this departure in University
training that Miss Boys Smith is alive to the difficulties
which beset her path.
She is fortunately situated, however, in the enjoyment of a
sympathetic environment.
She has been publicly assured of the cordial co-operation of
the Professorial Board as well as of the Council of the
University.
And since through the generosity of Mr John Studholme the
maintenance of the classes will entail no expense upon the
University for some years to come, criticism is silenced to a
large extent, and the occupant of the chair of Domestic
Science will have an admirable opportunity of justifying its
creation in a community which has already gained some renown
for daring experiments.
- ODT , 6.4.1911
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