Esther James

Architect, inventor, entrepreneur, and fashion model

• Born: November 5, 1900
• Birthplace: Pahiatua, New Zealand
• Died: January 7, 1990
• Place of death: Auckland, New Zealand

Also known as: Esther Marion Pretoria James

Significance: Esther James was a versatile entrepreneur with experience ranging from architecture to fashion modelling. During the 1930s she became a celebrity for walking the length of New Zealand wearing only domestic-made clothing and eating only local food to promote NZ goods.

Background

The seventh of ten children born to Eliza Jane Whitmore and Thomas Joseph James, Esther James was born on 5 November 1900 in Pahiatua, New Zealand. She was a third-generation New Zealander and the great-granddaughter of Sir George Whitmore, who had been a commandant of the Armed Constabulary in the 1860s. The family moved frequently to accommodate her father's work as a bridge inspector, and she grew up on farms in the Taranaki area. She attended a grammar school in Auckland on a scholarship, where she excelled in art. Following the completion of her education, James worked in an architect's office in Auckland for three years.

Advocacy

During the 1920s James invented and patented a cutlery washer and rinser. In the early 1930s she became one of the first professional models, or mannequins, in New Zealand. She worked for the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, which was the primary organisation promoting New Zealand manufacturers.

The depression of the early 1930s hit New Zealand especially hard. Exports dropped off significantly and the national income fell by 40 per cent within three years. Prices fell, especially of wool, dairy and meat. Unemployment rose, with an estimated seventy thousand or more people out of work. Determined to improve trade and help fellow New Zealanders get back to work and improve their economic status, James decided to walk the length of New Zealand to promote clothing and food manufactured or grown in New Zealand. Local manufacturers donated their goods, and the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation sponsored her walk.

James trained for several months, then left Spirits Bay near the northernmost tip of North Island on 3 December 1931. Walking at a pace of about five kilometres per hour, she headed toward South Island. Along the way, she stopped in towns and cities, where she met with mayors, community leaders and other dignitaries. In each town and city, she had the mayor sign her logbook, where she also kept a record of the miles she walked each day. She often gave lectures and spoke to reporters about the benefits of New Zealand–made goods. James quickly became a celebrity and was given food and lodgings by residents along her walk. Large groups of well-wishers often welcomed her into their towns, and she was often feted with special events. For example, the Manawatu Scottish Society's band played to mark her arrival into Palmerston North, and girl guides gave her a ceremonial guard of honour when she arrived in Dunedin. Mayors, prominent business persons and the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation often hosted special dinners for her.

On 18 June 1932 James arrived in Bluff on South Island's southern coast, completing her journey. She then also walked the length of Stewart Island. She had walked for 197 days and covered 2,500 kilometres, becoming the first person to walk the length of New Zealand. Following her walk to promote New Zealand–made goods, she went to Australia and walked from Melbourne, Victoria, to Brisbane, Queensland, to promote New Zealand tourism. She started that 1,900-kilometre walk on 19 November 1932 and completed it on 25 September 1933, becoming the first woman to complete the route by foot.

Later Endeavours

James stayed in Australia for a short time after her walk and worked as a model in Sydney. By 1934 she had returned to New Zealand, where she created a business directory for the central Auckland region. During World War II, James grew crops and harvested shells and seaweed to support herself and her child from her first marriage. She built a house in Mt Maunganui with thousands of concrete bricks she made herself, using sand and a homemade wooden mould. She later sold this house at a profit and built another one in Remuera. Later she moved to Auckland and engaged in several enterprises, including designing and building houses, land speculation and collecting and repairing antiques. In 1963 she bought an extinct volcano on Mt Wellington in Auckland and levelled it to create a subdivision.

James published her autobiography, Jobbing Along, in 1965. In it she described her frugal ways—she made all her clothes, for instance—and communicated her optimistic outlook on life. The book became a bestseller, and she represented New Zealand authors at a global book fair in Germany. In 1969 James entered politics as an electoral candidate for the Independent Women's Party in Auckland. She ran on a platform of women's rights, such as changing laws governing marriage and matrimonial property, but was unsuccessful in gaining a seat for Parliament. On 7 January 1990 she died in Auckland.

Impact

James is remembered for her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for New Zealand's products. Although she was not the first person to promote New Zealand's goods, she was the first to walk the length of New Zealand to do so, making an indelible impression on New Zealand residents. Within a few years of the completion of her walk, the slogan Buy New Zealand Goods was a well-known phrase throughout New Zealand and the basis of many future marketing campaigns. These would include the Buy New Zealand Made campaign of the 1980s and the Buy Kiwi Made campaign of the 2000s.

Personal Life

James was married and divorced twice. She had a daughter with her first husband, NZ architect Leslie Harrison Haysom, and a son and a daughter with her second husband, Australian sheep farmer Edward Scanlon Julian.

Bibliography

Barton, John. "James, Esther Marion Pretoria." Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, 1998. Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4j2/james-esther-marion-pretoria. Accessed 12 Jan. 2018.

M&C Saatchi, and the New Zealand Government. "Buy Kiwi Made: Esther James." Ads of the World, 12 Apr. 2008, www.adsoftheworld.com/media/print/buy‗kiwi‗made‗esther‗james. Accessed 12 Jan. 2018.

"Long-Distance Walker Esther James Reaches Bluff." New Zealand History,New Zealand Government, 21 Dec. 2016, nzhistory.govt.nz/page/long-distance-walker-esther-james-reaches-bluff. Accessed 12 Jan. 2018.

"Walker's Arrival Came amid Week of Festivity." Otago Daily Times, 19 Apr. 2017. PressReader, www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/otago-daily-times/20170419/281612420275533. Accessed 12 Jan. 2008.

White, Tina. "Walking Her Way to Fame." Manawatu Standard, 19 Apr. 2008. PressReader, www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/manawatu-standard/20080419/281530811746611. Accessed 12 Jan 2018.

Yarwood, Vaughan. "A Model Pedestrian: 197 Days on the Road." New Zealand Geographic, May–June 2017, www.nzgeo.com/stories/a-model-pedestrian. Accessed 12 Jan. 2008.