Mary Isabel Fraser | |
Image Upright: | 0.8 |
Birth Date: | 20 March 1863 |
Birth Place: | Dunedin, New Zealand |
Death Place: | Ibid. |
Education: | MA in Physics (1889). |
Alma Mater: | University of Otago |
Years Active: | 1890 ~ 1921 |
Known For: | Girls' education, Kiwifruit culture. |
Lady principal of Whanganui Girls' College (1894-1910), of Iona College (1914-1921). | |
Movement: | Feminism. |
Spouse: | Never married. |
Mary Isabel Fraser (20 March 1863 - 18 April 1942) was a New Zealand teacher, school principal and educationalist.
Throughout her career as a teacher and then as a school principal, she was a strong advocate for girls' education.
She is also known for having introduced, after returning from a trip to Yichang in China, the first kiwifruit seeds in New Zealand, in 1904.[1] This allowed nurseryman Alexander Allison to grow plants from these seeds,[1] and it was from this experience that the worldwide kiwifruit industry developed.