Patricia Rex
{{Short description|Niuean politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Patricia Rex
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|size=100%}}
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| office1 = Member of the Niue Assembly
| term1 = 1975–1993
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| constituency1 = Island-wide
| birth_date = {{Birth year|1918}}
| birth_place = Niue
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2004|01|21|1918|df=y}}
| death_place = Niue
| spouse = {{marriage|Robert Rex|1941|1992|end=d.}}
| children = 4
}}File:Flag of Niue.svg as designed by Rex]]
Tuagatagaloa Patricia Rex, Lady Rex {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|size=85%}} (née Vatolo; 1918 – 21 January 2004) was a Niuean politician. The wife of Niue's first Premier Robert Rex, she was jointly one of the first women elected to the Niue Assembly. She also designed the flag of Niue.
Biography
Born Patricia Tuagatagaloa Vatolo, Rex was from the village of Alofi. In 1941 she married Robert Rex and the couple had four children.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-robert-rex-1563769.html Obituary: Sir Robert Rex] The Independent, 16 December 1992 Her husband went on to become the Leader of Government Business, and in 1974 was appointed as the first Premier of Niue.
Rex contested the island-wide constituency in the April 1975 elections and was elected to the Niue Assembly, becoming one of the first women elected to the legislature alongside Lapati Paka.[https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-334718588/view?partId=nla.obj-334744938#page/n10/mode/1up No Rex dynasty for Niue] Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1975, p9 She remained a member of the Assembly until losing her seat in the 1993 elections.[https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-341347971/view?sectionId=nla.obj-345433738&partId=nla.obj-341359423#page/n5/mode/1up Vivian returned] Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1993, p6 Rex also designed the flag of Niue,[https://readingwarrior.com/toa-niue-sir-robert-rex/ Toa Niue: Sir Robert Rex] Reading Warrior which was adopted in 1975.
In the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours, Rex was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for community service.{{London Gazette |issue=52564 |date=15 June 1991 |page=31 |supp=2}}
Rex died in Niue in January 2004.{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/147035/wife-of-niue's-first-premier-dies |title=Wife of Niue's first premier dies |work=RNZ News |date=22 January 2004 |accessdate=5 September 2020}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rex, Patricia}}
Category:Niuean women in politics
Category:Members of the Niue Assembly