Sheppard worked in the house, writing letters and speeches, between 1888 and 1902. A 270-metre-long petition demanding women get the right to vote, which was signed by 32,000 people, was collated in the house’s dining room in 1893. Later that year, New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote.
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/Stuff
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern takes a journey through women’s history. Ardern said the building – particularly the dining room – was a “incredible piece” of New Zealand history. “That is a place where people will get a sense of the history of this home, the place where thousands of women s signatures were pulled together and ultimately contributed to women having the right to vote.”