Stella Henderson

Stella May Henderson (25 October 1871 – 1 March 1962), also known as Mrs E. F. Allan and the journalistic pen name of Vesta, was a New Zealand feminist, university graduate and journalist. She was a founding member in 1896 of the National Council of Women of New Zealand and later of the National Council of Women of Australia. She was the first woman parliamentary reporter for a major New Zealand newspaper.

Early life and education Henderson was born in Kaiapoi, North Canterbury, New Zealand on 25 October 1871. She was the seventh of nine children of Alice and Daniel Henderson. The family spent some years living in Ashburton, but when Henderson was 11 the family moved to Christchurch.

She attended Christchurch Girls' High School All three sisters were also strong supporters of the Prohibition movement, as their father Daniel had died when the family was still young due to alcoholism. The National Council of Women also supported Henderson; they approached the Speaker of the House, Sir Maurice O'Rorke, and pressured him to allow Henderson into the Press Gallery. The following year, Henderson began working for Argus too.

In 1927 she was part of Victorian state council for Girl Guides.

League of Nations

In July 1924, Henderson was the Australian substitute delegate to the fifth assembly of League of Nations, being conducted in Geneva, Switzerland.

England

In 1939 Henderson retired to England and wrote for The Argus on women's and children's experiences of World War II.

Australia

In 1947 she returned to Melbourne and lived there until her death in March 1962.

Recognition

Vesta Place, in the Canberra suburb of Gilmore, is named in her honour.

Henderson is also recognised as part of the Australian Media Hall of Fame. and Christina was a teacher and social activist.

In 1900 Henderson married Edwin Frank Allan, who was a writer at the Evening Post newspaper. They had four daughters Helen Mary, Frances Elizabeth, Stella Patricia Grace and Alice Margaret.

Daughter Alice married military officer and religious minister Alexander Rowan Macneil (1894–1953) at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne on 7 August 1923.

Daughter Frances ("Betty"; d. August 1952) was a distinguished mathematician, established the statistical section of the [CSIRO] in 1931, and married scientist Dr Patrick Calvert and resided in Canberra.