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“Officers Aren’t ‘Womens Libbers’”

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Description: These images were taken for the April 30th, 1978, edition of the Tribune weekly newspaper, the first of which was published with the caption “Traffic officer Robertson.”

An excerpt from the article read: “Being a woman traffic officer is not "a women's libby sort of thing," one of Palmerston North's first women traffic officers said on Thursday. Kerrie Robertson says she's not worried about the role she's taken on - despite the fact that she and Palmerston North's other woman traffic officer, Alison Stewart, are the first women traffic officers in the North Island. The Tribune was only able to talk to T/O Robertson, as T/O Stewart was in Wellington on the day that we called. But the young traffic officer was nonplussed at the attention: since she and T/O Stewart began work in the city on Monday they have been in constant demand by newspapers, and radio, to say nothing of the service cos and other organisations that want to hear their views on women in a law enforcement role. T/O Robertson has already made her mark in Palmerston North, issuing "a number" of offence notices. And on Thursday she had to deal with her first accident. She hadn't had to deal with a motorist "under the influence" when we spoke to her, but said the prospect didn't frighten her. Nor was she concerned about being a female in an otherwise male-dominated world.”

These images form part of the Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection. Unfortunately, only negatives between April and December 1978 are held.