Notes

colonial businesswomen in New Zealand
Catherine Bishop.
404 pages
illustrations (some colour).
Contents: Don't assume it's a man : finding colonial businesswomen -- Women's place and men's responsibility -- 'This outlandish place at the end of the earth' -- One ring to bind them all : marriage and the law -- 'Good morning, Miss' : the business of education -- A stitch in time : dresses and drapery -- 'Personal offices for man ': beds, booze, and bodies -- 'Personal offices for women': a female economy -- The corner shop : for better or worse -- Butchers and bakers and cordial makers -- Pushing boundaries : exploiting 'accomplishments' -- Globetrotting -- Forgetting and remembering.
Summary: Dr Catherine Bishop showcases many of the individual businesswomen whose efforts collectively contributed so much to the making of urban life in New Zealand. Her book explores the stories of some of New Zealand's colonial entrepreneurs: the successful and the outright failures, the heart-warming and the tragic, the everyday and the scandalous.