Esme Tombleson

Esme Irene Tombleson (née Lawson; 1 August 1917 – 30 July 2010) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. An Australian child prodigy who recited Shakespeare, she had a career in theatre and ballet. During the war, her sharp mind and strong memory was recognised, and she became a civil servant. She came to New Zealand through marriage, and lived on rural land near Gisborne. She represented the electorate in Parliament for 12 years, and was prominent as a campaigner for multiple sclerosis.

Early life She was born in Sydney in 1917 and educated there. She received her education at the Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School in Darlinghurst, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and the Imperial School of Ballet in London. She was taken around Australia as a child prodigy by her mother, reciting Shakespeare. She was involved in various ballet, opera and theatre companies. During World War II she served in the Women's Auxiliary Signalling Corps in Sydney, where her sharp memory was recognised. She became secretary of the Manpower Advisory Committee.

She was defeated by Trevor Davey in the .

Later life Tombleson was a co-founder of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society in 1961. She was president of the organisation (1975–1982) and founded the Gisborne–East Coast branch in 1988. She was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal in 1990, and made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1993 New Year Honours, for services to multiple sclerosis and the community. Also in 1993, she was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal. She received the "rarely awarded" gold medal for distinguished services to multiple sclerosis in 1987. She died on 30 July 2010 in Gisborne.

The MS Society of New Zealand offers Esme Tombleson Awards at its annual general meetings.