Mary Anderson (New Zealand politician)

Mary Patricia Anderson (17 March 1887 – 18 February 1966) was one of the first two women appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council (upper house).

Early life
Anderson was born in 1887 at Moonlight, one of eight children. She was from Greymouth.

Political career
She was a founding member of the Greymouth branch of the New Zealand Labour Party. She was then secretary of the branch from 1918 to 1956.

With Mary Dreaver she was appointed to the council on 31 January 1946 by the First Labour Government, after a law change in 1941 to make women eligible to serve on the council. They served to the end of 1950, when the Legislative Council was abolished by the First National Government.

Life after politics
In 1950 she was elected to the Grey Hospital Board. She served on the Board for 12 years.

She died at Greymouth in 1966; she had never married.