Snow, Sarah Ellen Oliver (1864–1939)

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Snow, Sarah Ellen Oliver (1864–1939)

New Zealand political activist, feminist, and welfare worker. Name variations: Sarah Ellen Oliver Murphy. Born Feb 16, 1864, in Wellington, New Zealand; died Feb 13, 1939, in Wellington; dau. of Michael James Murphy (police officer) and Jessie (Flighty) Murphy; m. Clarence Herbert Snow (laborer), 1892; children: 4 sons, 3 daughters.

Interests in women's domestic issues, political representation, and social-welfare issues grew out of her life as working-class wife and mother; served as president of Wellington Housewives' Union (early 1910s); active in charitable work with Wellington Hospital Board; worked to include feminist issues, including sex-equality legislation, onto labor movement's national agenda; was a Labor representative (1919–23 and 1933–39); advocated for welfare reform and worked to build New Zealand welfare state (1930s).

See also Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (Vol. 4).