Maida Bryant

Maida Elizabeth Claire Bryant (née Ferguson; 12 December 1926 – 4 April 2016) was a New Zealand nurse, local politician, and community leader.

Biography Born in Coalgate on 12 December 1926, Bryant was educated at Christchurch Girls' High School, and went on to study at the Christchurch School of Nursing between 1945 and 1948. In 1952, she married Allen Lindsay Bryant, and the couple went on to have four children.

Bryant worked as a practice nurse, and served four terms as president of the Westland branch of the New Zealand Nurses' Association.

Active in local politics, Bryant served as a Hokitika borough councillor, a member of the Westland Hospital Board, a member of the West Coast National Parks and Reserves Board, and was chair of the West Coast Walkways Committee. She was also a referee on the West Coast Disputes Tribunal, and was appointed a justice of the peace in 1976. Her ashes were buried in Hokitika Cemetery.

Honours and awards In 1971, Bryant was named Rotary woman of the year, and in 1975 she was the West Coast woman of the year. In 1990, Bryant was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.

In the 1978 New Year Honours, Allen Bryant was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for public services.