WDFF Millennium Project Challenge To Other Provinces

While the Chatham Islands has the dawn of the new millennium, mid-Canterbury can lay claim to the first official register of local women ever in Canterbury's history to start the new millennium, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley said today.

"The register will tell some of our stories in a human and interesting way," says Mrs Shipley.

Mrs Shipley today launched the mid-Canterbury Women's Division Federated Farmers Project 2000 in Ashburton.

"The project hopes to produce a register of every female living in mid-Canterbury in 1999 and 2000 compiled from survey replies, for use by future generations as they try to understand what was important in the lives of women in the year 2000.

"It is very encouraging to see WDFF putting their efforts into such a worthwhile cause. This marks a defining point in our history and will serve as a useful tool for future generations.

"As a local woman I am particularly pleased to see this resource coming together. This reference tool would have been invaluable in 1993 for the centennial celebration of women's suffrage. Our research then found scant information was available on our local women, particularly in a historic sense, and the project will improve this.

"I hear there has already been an enthusiastic local reaction to the idea, and hope this leads to great support from local women," says Mrs Shipley.

Women and girls throughout mid-Canterbury will receive a questionnaire in the mail asking their name, date of birth, address, place of birth, where educated, profession and a little about their life. The questionnaires are being kindly distributed by Electricity Ashburton to all households from next week.

"The millennium project is an innovative idea which would not have come this far without the support of the WDFF, and I commend them for their enthusiasm.

"I think this is an idea which could pique the interests of other provinces, who find themselves losing valuable information about their people's past as people leave the district or pass away.

"I urge every local women to fill in the questionnaire when it reaches their letterbox. A little effort now will contribute to a valuable document for posterity and reference in the future," said Mrs Shipley.