Sandra Coney
{{short description|NZ politician, writer, feminist, historian, and women's health campaigner}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
File:Sandra Coney 2017 (cropped).jpg
Sandra Lorraine Coney {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO}} (née Pearce, born 22 October 1944) is a New Zealand local-body politician, writer, feminist, historian, and women's health campaigner.
Early life and family
Coney was born in Auckland on 22 October 1944, the daughter of Doris Margaret Pearce (née Morgan) and Tom Pearce.{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |authorlink1=Alister Taylor |authorlink2=Deborah Coddington |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |page=104}} Her father chaired the Auckland Regional Council from 1965 to 1976 and was a New Zealand Rugby Football Union administrator. Coney was educated at Auckland Girls' Grammar School, and went on to study at the University of Auckland, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Activist career
She is best known for her co-authorship (with Phillida Bunkle) of a Metro magazine article that alleged that women had been experimented on, without their consent, at National Women's Hospital in Auckland. The article, titled 'The Unfortunate Experiment', led to the controversial Cartwright Inquiry, which confirmed the article's allegations. The article and the subsequent inquiry are seen as a turning point in healthcare ethics in New Zealand.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}
Coney has been involved in other women's health causes, and in 1984 co-founded with Bunkle Women's Health Action to co-ordinate claims by women who had been injured by the Dalkon Shield IUD.[http://www.everybody.co.nz/page-9b60454c-4546-432a-8003-827ca58ec4b2.aspx Women's Health Action – Everybody – Health Information for New Zealanders] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408055716/http://www.everybody.co.nz/page-9b60454c-4546-432a-8003-827ca58ec4b2.aspx |date=8 April 2007 }}
Coney was the co-founder of the feminist magazine Broadsheet, which she co-edited for 14 years.{{cite news |last=Rose |first=Jeremy |title=Influential Kiwis talk about their Influences |url= http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ideas/20091206 |accessdate=7 May 2014 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=6 December 2009}} She is the author or editor of 14 books, including the major Suffrage Centennial publication Standing in the Sunshine (1993), which was also a television series. She wrote a regular column of political and social comment for the Sunday-Times for 16 years from 1986.
She is also involved in the local politics of the Piha area such as the unsuccessful campaign against the Piha cafe. She has also written an history of Piha, and is currently researching Anzac soldiers from the Piha area.{{cite web |url=http://www.arc.govt.nz/arc/about-arc/meet-the-councillors/sandra-coney.cfm |title=Sandra Coney |accessdate=24 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202165318/http://arc.govt.nz/arc/about-arc/meet-the-councillors/sandra-coney.cfm |archivedate=2 February 2007 |df=dmy }}{{cite news| url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=0000D672-5BE3-1628-96FF83027AF1010E | work=The New Zealand Herald | title=New Zealand Herald : New Zealand's Latest News, Business, Sport, Weather, Travel, Technology, Entertainment, Politics, Finance, Health, Environment and Science}}
Political career
{{AC header}}
{{Auckland Council|affiliation=Best for the West|colour=lightgreen|ward=Waitakere|start=2010|end=2013}}
{{end}}Between 2001 and 2010, Coney represented Waitakere City on the Auckland Regional Council (ARC), and served as Chair of the Parks and Heritage Committee between 2004 and 2010.
In October 2010, she was elected as a representative of the Waitākere Ward on the Auckland Council on the Best for the West ticket. She was also elected as an independent representative on the Waitematā District Health Board.{{cite press release|title=2010 Election Results|publisher=Auckland Transition Agency/Auckland Council|url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/2010Elections/Results/Pages/Home.aspx|date=October 2010|accessdate=17 October 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011092108/http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/2010ELECTIONS/RESULTS/Pages/Home.aspx|archivedate=11 October 2010|df=dmy-all}}
In the 2013 Auckland local elections, Coney stood down as a councillor, endorsing fellow Future West candidate Christine Rose for the position.{{cite news |last=Orsman |first=Bernard |date=2 August 2013 |title=Heritage hero Coney exiting council to focus on West |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10906812 |work=The New Zealand Herald |location=Auckland |publisher=Wilson and Horton |accessdate=7 December 2013}} She was re-elected to the Waitemata District Health Board,{{cite web|url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Pages/Finalresults-DHB.aspx |title=Elections: Final results – District health board |date=2013 |website=Auckland Council Website |publisher=Auckland Council |accessdate=7 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017024922/http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz:80/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Pages/Finalresults-DHB.aspx |archivedate=17 October 2013 |df=dmy }} and was elected to a new role as chair of the Waitakere Ranges Local Board,{{cite web |url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/representativesbodies/LocalBoards/WaitakereRangeslocalboard/Pages/contact.aspx |title=Contact Waitākere Ranges Local Board |author= |date=2013 |website=Auckland Council Website |publisher=Auckland Council |accessdate=7 December 2013}} having received the most votes of any of the board's members.{{cite web |url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/lbfinalresults2013.pdf |title=Local boards final results |author= |page=5 |date=17 October 2013 |website=Auckland Council Website |publisher=Auckland Council |accessdate=7 December 2013}}
At the 2016 Auckland elections, Coney stood for Future West and was re-elected to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board, the Waitemata District Health Board and the Portage Licensing Trust.{{cite web|url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/licensingtrusts2016.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=15 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019015948/http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/licensingtrusts2016.pdf |archivedate=19 October 2016 |df=dmy }}{{cite web|url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/aucklanddhb2016.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=15 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019014606/http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/aucklanddhb2016.pdf |archivedate=19 October 2016 |df=dmy }}{{cite web|url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/Confirmedlocalelectionresults2016.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=15 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019000339/http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/Confirmedlocalelectionresults2016.pdf |archivedate=19 October 2016 |df=dmy }}
Writing career
Coney is the author of more than 30 books on topics including history, feminism, and women's health care.{{cite news |last=Dickey |first=Delwyn |date=17 September 2013 |title=Radio astronomy's Pakiri role |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/9175185/Radio-astronomys-Pakiri-role |work=Rodney Times |location=Orewa, New Zealand |publisher=Fairfax Media |accessdate=7 December 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3A%22Sandra+Coney%22&fq=x0%3Abook |title=Search results for 'au:"Sandra Coney"' > 'Book' |author= |date=2013 |website=WorldCat |publisher=OCLC |accessdate=7 December 2013}}
Honours
In 1990, Coney received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, and in 1993 she was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.{{cite web |url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/our-programmes/new-zealand-royal-honours/new-zealand-royal-honours-system/types-new-zealand-royal-honours/other-distinctive-new-zealand-honours/suffrage-medal-register |title=The New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993 – register of recipients |date=26 July 2018 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |accessdate=18 September 2018}} In the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours, Coney was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order, for services to women's health.{{cite web |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2010 |title=Queen's Birthday honours list 2010 |date=7 June 2010 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |accessdate=10 October 2018}}
Selected bibliography
- 2009: Piha: guardians of the iron sands: the first 75 years of the Piha Surf Life Saving Club. Piha Surf Life Saving, {{ISBN|978-0-473-14906-2}}
- 1998: Stroppy sheilas and gutsy girls: New Zealand women of dash and daring. Tandem Press, {{ISBN|1-877178-29-2}}
- 1997: Piha: a history in images. Keyhole Press, {{ISBN|0-473-04883-3}}
- 1996: Feeling fabulous at 40, 50 and beyond. Tandem Press, {{ISBN|0-908884-83-4}}
- 1995: I do: 125 years of weddings in New Zealand. Moa Beckett (NZ), {{ISBN|1-86958-171-7}}
- 1993: Standing in the sunshine: a history of New Zealand women since they won the vote. Viking, {{ISBN|0-670-84628-7}}
- 1993: Unfinished business: what happened to the Cartwright Report? Women's Health Action, Auckland. {{ISBN|0-473-02018-1}}
- 1991: The Menopause Industry: How the Medical Establishment Exploits Women. Penguin {{ISBN|0-89793-161-0}} (U.S. Edition 1994)
- 1990: Hysterectomy. Heinemann Reed (NZ), {{ISBN|0-7900-0089-X}}
- 1990: Out of the Frying Pan: Inflammatory Writing 1972–89 Penguin {{ISBN|0-14-012859-X}}
- 1988: The Unfortunate Experiment: The full story behind the inquiry into cervical cancer treatment. Penguin. {{ISBN|0-14-011671-0}}
- 1986: Every girl: a social history of women and the YWCA in Auckland 1885–1985. Auckland YWCA {{ISBN|0-908636-27-X}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coney, Sandra}}
Category:New Zealand feminists
Category:New Zealand left-wing activists
Category:New Zealand women writers
Category:21st-century New Zealand women politicians
Category:21st-century New Zealand politicians
Category:Companions of the Queen's Service Order
Category:Auckland regional councillors
Category:Recipients of the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993
Category:People educated at Auckland Girls' Grammar School