Mavis Tiller

Mavis Ada Tiller (; 25 November 1901 – 25 July 1989) was a New Zealand women's advocate and scientist. She served as president of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) from 1966 to 1970.

Early life and career Tiller was born in Wellington. Her father worked for the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department for some years, but when she was young, the family moved to London.

Tiller attended Bedford College, London, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree (second class honours) in chemistry from the University of London in 1923. After graduating she first worked as science mistress at the Roedean School, Johannesburg, They returned to live in Wellington where they had a daughter, born in 1938, and two sons born in 1941 and 1944.

Activism From the early 1950s, Tiller was involved with many organisations including the Wellington Mothers' Helpers Association, the Women's Migration and Overseas Appointments Society, the NCWNZ, the International Council of Women (ICW), and the United Nations Association of Wellington. From 1961 to 1966 she was the president of the Wellington branch of the NCWNZ, and in 1966 she represented New Zealand at the ICW conference in Tehran. For nearly twenty years she was the president of the Wellington Mothers' Helpers Association and was awarded a life membership for her work. In 1970 she led New Zealand's delegation to the ICW conference in Bangkok. From 1973 to 1982 she served as the vice-convenor, then convenor, of the ICW's Standing Committee on International Relations and Peace.

Tiller was appointed to the Royal Commission on Social Security in 1969, which reported in 1972. She was the only woman on the commission and the first woman to sit on a Royal Commission in New Zealand for 30 years.

Tiller died in London, England, on 25 July 1989, at the age of 87. She had been predeceased by her husband, Leslie Tiller, in 1981.