Elizabeth Yates

Elizabeth Yates (née Oman, 1840 – 6 September 1918) was a New Zealand politician who served as the mayor of Onehunga borough for most of 1894. She was the first female mayor in the British Empire.

Biography Yates was born Elizabeth Oman in Caithness, Scotland in 1840. She arrived to New Zealand with her family around December 1853 aboard the Berwick Castle. Although little is known about her early life, it is believed that her and her family lived in the Onehunga area from 1855 onwards.

In 1893, after her husband had stood down from his post in 1892 due to ill health, she had accepted the nomination for the office of mayor. In November she defeated her opponent, Frederick Court, at the polls (also automatically becoming a Justice of the Peace) in a close race decided by only 13 votes. Yates became mayor of Onehunga on 16 January 1894.

This appointment made Yates the first woman mayor of the British Empire.

Yates was met with strong opposition from local councillors, town clerks and members of the public (four councillors and the town clerk resigned in response to her election, citing they would not work under a 'petticoat government'''),

Yates later returned as a councillor to the Borough Council for two years between 1899 and 1901. Even her opponents conceded that she had been very effective during her short tenure, having liquidated the borough debt, established a sinking fund, reorganised the fire brigade, upgraded roads, footpaths and sanitation, and having personally lobbied the government to authorise the reopening of the Waikaraka Cemetery.

Yates was buried with her husband in the cemetery at St Peter's Churchyard in Onehunga.

Legacy Elizabeth and Michael Yates are the subjects in, The World's First Lady Mayor'', the second oldest surviving New Zealand film shot by photographer Enos Pegler in 1900. The film was restored by Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision and is part of their moving image collection. Located on the corner of Onehunga Mall Road and Pearce Street, the mural was made by two local artists, Bobby MacDonald and Karlee Hirovaana-Nicholls.