Helen Black (mayoress)

{{Short description|New Zealand politician and community worker (1896–1963)}}

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{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2016}}

Helen McKenzie Black {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MBE}} (née Murray; 16 August 1896 – 17 October 1963) was a New Zealand mayoress and community worker. She was born in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on 16 August 1896. On 3 December 1924, she married Robert Black, who was mayor of Dunedin from 1929 to 1933.{{DNZB| Tennant| Margaret|authorlink=Margaret Tennant|4b35|Helen McKenzie Black|10 December 2011}}

Her husband stood in the {{NZ election link|1931}} in the {{NZ electorate link|Dunedin North}} electorate as an independent candidate in support of the United Party, but withdrew shortly before the election, too late for his name to be removed from the ballot.{{cite book |title=The General Election, 1931 |year=1932 |publisher=Government Printer |url= http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1932-I-II.2.3.2.31 |page=2 |accessdate=2 November 2014}}{{cite news |title=Outlook in Otago |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19311130.2.112 |accessdate=11 November 2014 |work=The New Zealand Herald |volume=LXVIII |issue=21043 |date=30 November 1931 |page=11}} She stood in Dunedin North in the {{NZ election link|1935}} for the Democrat Party and came a distant third;{{cite news |title=General Election |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19351207.2.96 |accessdate=11 November 2014 |work=The Evening Post |volume=CXX |issue=138 |date=7 December 1935 |page=11}} she was one of only three women who stood for election that year.{{cite news |title=Untitled |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19351127.2.10.4 |accessdate=11 November 2014 |work=The New Zealand Herald |volume=LXXII |issue=22277 |date=27 November 1935 |page=5}} Black stood again in {{NZ election link year|1954}} for the National Party.

In the 1952 New Year Honours, Black was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for social welfare services.{{London Gazette |issue=39423 |date=28 December 1951 |page=42 |supp=3}}