Maker: Gina Allan-Evans

Panel number: 137

Petition Sheet Number: 156

Person honouring: Sarah Lillian Milar

Relationship to makers: None

Sarah Lillian Ross, the daughter of James and Eleanor Ross, was born in Lisnaskea, Northern Ireland in 1859. In 1882 she married John Andrew Millar in Wellington. 

John would have a significant effect on trade unionism in New Zealand including for the Federated Seamen’s Union and Tailoresses’ Union, and he spent 21 years in parliament. When her husband was elected the first full-time general secretary of the Federated Seamen’s Union of NZ, the Millars moved to Dunedin with their two children around 1887, where another child was born in 1891. Sarah was living in Bruce Street, Roslyn when she signed the petition in 1893. They moved to 21 High Street, Roslyn, just north of the Roslyn Presbyterian Church where Sarah died in 1906 after a short illness, aged 47. Her funeral was attended by the Premier, the Hon. Sir J.G. Ward (the 17th Prime Minster of New Zealand).

Panel materials:  50 year old white cotton sheet. Silks and rayon threads that I dyed myself. The woman’s figure was cut off cereal bag. The empty picture frame was to represent all the unheard voices. The thistle represented a strong Scottish background in place name and origin of families.There are 46 leaves and 46 stars for both the known and unknown women.