Born in London in 1836, Mary Ann Barnes trained as a teacher before coming to New Zealand in 1859. She settled in Auckland and in 1861 married Thomas Caesar Colclough. Following his death in 1867, and with two young children to care for, Mary resumed teaching. She also became a champion for women’s rights, and in particular, targeted property rights for married women. Through 1871-1873 Mary Colclough campaigned vigorously, delivering public lectures in Auckland and the Waikato and, under the pseudonym “Polly Plum”, contributed articles to a number of newspapers.

When asked what rights she wanted for women ‘Polly Plum’ responded “The right, as thinking, reasoning beings, to decide for themselves what is best for their own happiness. If they were satisfied with man's decision, this agitation for change would not be.”

Elsewhere she commented that it was “iniquitous that in a Christian country, anyone, male or female, should have it in their power to wrong and oppress others, under the shelter of the law.”

Large audiences attended Mary’s lectures on the subject of women’s rights – to own property (within marriage), to vote, to work, to be educated. She also advocated temperance and improved treatment of women prisoners and prostitutes. At a time when it was unusual for women to deliver public lectures she attracted large audiences - boats were laid on from the North Shore for her second Auckland lecture. She also had the support of a number of leading clergymen, and her departure from Auckland to take up a teaching post in Tuakau was marked by a public farewell.

But she also had many opponents. A Waikato Times editorial responded that “The majority of women are unfit even to have authority over their children still less over their domestic servants. To make them legally equal to their husbands would be disastrous in the extreme … Women’s power is her weakness, her tenderness, and her ability to love deeply.”

In 1874 Mary Colclough crossed the Tasman to Australia where she continued her support for women’s causes. This included advocating athletic sports for girls, the removal of the vow of obedience from the marriage service, and public discussions about prostitution.

Mary Colclough returned to New Zealand in 1876 and continued teaching – at Rangiora and Papanui. She witnessed the passing of the Married Women’s Property Act in 1884 but unfortunately did not live to see New Zealand women receive the vote, as she died in 1885 aged forty-nine following a serious accident.

construction: folding chair; pivot on seat-level; in two parts: chair back and front legs in one piece, joined with metal screws (masked with wooden caps) to seat and back legs; chair back has turned wooden sides with central cut-out back support; woven cane seat in traditional 7-step pattern; leather strap for hanging; decorative motifs include some wooden inlay work, pokerwork and staining

decoration: partly inlaid design: floral motifs, branch and leaves with poker worked and painted bird (with glass eye); inlaid motifs highlighted with black shellac surround;

Inscription stamped into seat back: "M C / Polly Plum / AUCKLAND"

Heavy metal plate attached verso: "IN MEMORY OF ONE WHO LOVED TO SERVE"

.2: square red velvet seat or cushion cover with calico backing; gold metallic thread fringe and embroidered in floral pattern with gold and silver metallic thread and sequins

decoration: embroidered pattee cross attached at centre, surrounded by embroidered motifs of roses, grapes and wheat, sequins attached in criss-cross pattern