Mary Varnham
New Zealand writer, press secretary, journalist and founder of Awa Press
About Mary Varnham
Mary Varnham was a New Zealand writer, public relations consultant, press secretary, publisher, council member and politician.
Mary Varnham (born 1946) is a New Zealand writer and publisher. She was a Wellington City Councillor from 1998 to 2001.
Biography Varnham was raised in Paekākāriki until she was 8 years old, when her family moved to Wellington. She attended Paekākāriki School, Hataitai School, Wellington East Girls College and Woodford House. She studied a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in English and political science at the University of Otago, graduating in 1969. From 1972 to 1978, she lived in New York City, where she worked as a writer, public relations consultant, and book publicist at Simon & Schuster.
In 2003, Varnham established Awa Press, a publishing company focusing on non-fiction works by New Zealand and overseas writers. She edited Peter Adds' book The Transit of Venus, which was shortlisted for the Montana New Zealand Book Awards in the Reference & Anthology Category in 2008.
Publications
Varnham, M., & Woodford House (Havelock North, N.Z.). (1994). Beyond blue hills: One hundred years of Woodford House. Havelock North, N.Z: Woodford House. Kedgley, S. J., & Varnham, M. (1993). Heading nowhere in a navy blue suit: And other tales from the feminist revolution. Wellington, N.Z: Daphne Brasell Associates Press. Varnham, M. (1979). Bhutan: Himalayan Kingdom. Thimphu: Royal Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Personal life Varnham married Paul O'Regan, a solicitor, in 1986.
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Important facts
Frequently asked questions
Who was Mary Varnham?
New Zealand writer, press secretary, journalist and founder of Awa Press
When was Mary Varnham born?
Mary Varnham was born in Wellington.
What was Mary Varnham's occupation?
Mary Varnham was a writer, public relations consultant, press secretary, publisher, council member and politician.
What nationality was Mary Varnham?
Mary Varnham was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mary Varnham. https://biography.guide/mary-varnham/
MLA: "Mary Varnham." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mary-varnham/.
Chicago: "Mary Varnham." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mary-varnham/.
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