Stella Henderson

Stella May Henderson (25 October 1871 – 1 March 1962) was a New Zealand feminist, university graduate and journalist. She was the first woman parliamentary reporter for a major New Zealand newspaper. Stella moved to Australia in 1903 with her husband, who became employed by the Melbourne Argus. In 1907 the newspaper commissioned Allan to write articles for the Australian Women's Work Exhibition in October, the first of its kind. She adopted the pen name "Vesta" and began writing a column for the paper called "Women to Women", spanning a whole range of women's issues and community welfare. She succeeded Ada Cambridge as president of the Women Writers' Club, and in 1912 she helped found the Lyceum Club, later becoming its president. In 1939 Henderson retired to England and wrote for The Argus on women's and children's experiences of World War II. In 1947 she returned to Melbourne and lived there until her death in 1962. Several of Henderson's siblings were also notable, Elizabeth became New Zealand's first woman Member of Parliament, and Christina was a teacher and social activist. 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.