Tessa Fowler | |
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Member of the Representative Assembly | |
In office 1975– | |
Constituency | Port Vila |
Tessa Fowler is a Vanuatuan former politician. She and Mary Gilu were the first women elected to the New Hebrides Representative Assembly, serving from 1975 to 1977.
Born Tessa Franklin, [1] Fowler earned an MA in philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Oxford. She subsequently worked as a researcher in the United States and England. [2] She relocated to the New Hebrides in 1958 to work as an economist for the British administration. [3] Although she moved onto Hong Kong in 1959 and then returned to England, she returned to the New Hebrides permanently in 1961. [2] She ran two trading stores and earned money from translating. [2] In 1964 she was the first person to be employed by the new Chambers of Commerce. [2] She also became a dealer of local artwork, selling to foreign museums. [3] In addition, she wrote articles for Pacific Islands Monthly and in 1971 began contributing to Nakamiel, a monthly news magazine. [4] She married an Australian builder and artist. [2]
A member of the Union of the Communities of the New Hebrides (UCHN), Fowler was elected to the municipal council of Port Vila in the 1975 local elections in a seat reserved for British nationals. [5] She was subsequently contested the Port Vila constituency for the UCNH in the November 1975 legislative elections. [5] Alongside Mary Gilu, she was one of the first two women elected to the territory's legislature.
Tessa Fowler | |
---|---|
Member of the Representative Assembly | |
In office 1975– | |
Constituency | Port Vila |
Tessa Fowler is a Vanuatuan former politician. She and Mary Gilu were the first women elected to the New Hebrides Representative Assembly, serving from 1975 to 1977.
Born Tessa Franklin, [1] Fowler earned an MA in philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Oxford. She subsequently worked as a researcher in the United States and England. [2] She relocated to the New Hebrides in 1958 to work as an economist for the British administration. [3] Although she moved onto Hong Kong in 1959 and then returned to England, she returned to the New Hebrides permanently in 1961. [2] She ran two trading stores and earned money from translating. [2] In 1964 she was the first person to be employed by the new Chambers of Commerce. [2] She also became a dealer of local artwork, selling to foreign museums. [3] In addition, she wrote articles for Pacific Islands Monthly and in 1971 began contributing to Nakamiel, a monthly news magazine. [4] She married an Australian builder and artist. [2]
A member of the Union of the Communities of the New Hebrides (UCHN), Fowler was elected to the municipal council of Port Vila in the 1975 local elections in a seat reserved for British nationals. [5] She was subsequently contested the Port Vila constituency for the UCNH in the November 1975 legislative elections. [5] Alongside Mary Gilu, she was one of the first two women elected to the territory's legislature.