Esther James

Esther Marion Pretoria James (5 November 1900 – 7 January 1990) was an entrepreneur, architectural student, model and author. She once walked the length of New Zealand to raise awareness of New Zealand-made goods.

Career

Architect James completed her articles under the tutelage of William Arthur Cumming in the 1920s. As Cumming lectured at the University, James would go along to his classes. James was passionate about designing residential properties, specifically to reduce unnecessary labour for domestic women. She also provided assistance to Cumming in measuring sites and architectural work on shops, offices, and schools. She was particularly active on sites on Karangahape Road, supervising the construction of Flackson's dress shop. James stopped working for Cumming upon marrying architect Leslie Haysom in 1924. The sale of that property gave her profits and she went on to build a larger house in Remuera, Auckland. She was the first person to do this walk from Spirits Bay to Stewart Island and wore only New Zealand-made clothing and shoes. The walk took six months. She also walked from Melbourne to Brisbane in Australia to promote tourism to New Zealand to Australians.

Politics

In 1969 she was promoting herself as a candidate for a new political party the Independent Women's Party. She said:A women spends, on average, 25 years of her married life in her home - without praise or pay. Then her husband can take her matrimonial home away from her.' (Esther James 1969) She then walked from Melbourne to Brisbane, promoting New Zealand goods, a distance of 1200 miles, she also lectured on New Zealand's tourist attractions.

Family James was from Pahiatua, New Zealand. She grew up on a farm and was one of the younger of ten siblings.