Today the first women career firefighters in New Zealand and the Commonwealth will be celebrated at a function hosted by the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (the NZPFU).

The 40th anniversary of women career firefighters ticked over in 2021 but the celebrations were postponed a couple of times due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The NZPFU is thrilled to finally be able to celebrate Anne Barry and Elizabeth England who trailblazed their way onto the New Zealand Fire Service career firefighting recruits course and in doing so pathed the way for women career firefighters across the Commonwealth.

Anne Barry was employed in the fire service communications control room (now the 111 emergency call centre) and decided she wanted to serve as a firefighter. Despite women being accepted into the police force and defence, Anne recalls the Fire Service was “not going to have fire stations turned into beds of sin, not going to have menstrual cycles on fire stations, and didn’t want women fainting at motor accidents”.

Knowing she would have a fight on her hands, Anne first successfully undertook a fire engineering degree but she was still rejected on the basis she was an inch too short. Not deterred Anne found many male career firefighters that had been accepted on a recruits course despite not meeting that height restriction. Anne re-applied but was then rejected on the grounds her sight did not meet the required standard. Anne went through a series of eye sight tests and had specialist reports to demonstrate a stigmatism in one eye would not affect her ability to be a firefighter. She passed a fire service eye sight test. Still the Fire Service would not accept her application.

Determined she took her fight to be accepted on the career recruits course taking her case through the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Human Rights Commission and lobbied politicians for support. After fighting for three years she was finally accepted onto the career firefighter recruits course in 1981 and was joined by Elizabeth England.

Anne Barry will be the guest of honour at the function. Liz England will be recognised and represented by family members. The function will be held at the Mount Maunganui Surf Life Saving Club, 21 Adams Avenue, Mount Maunganui from 2pm today Tuesday 11 July 2023.

The NZPFU National Committee welcomed the opportunity to recognise these two courageous women who changed the face of career firefighting across the Commonwealth. The NZPFU will make a special announcement at that event to recognise Anne’s battle which pathed the way for women career firefighters, and to support women career firefighters into the future.

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