MACKAY, Alice Forrester

Alice Forrester Mackay (née Rowley) was born in Christchurch. She became a well-known teacher, pianist and composer in Christchurch, fighting deafness from quite a young age. Early encouragement to have her music published was given by Sir George Grey in 1888 and her first published piece was Hinemoa for piano. Because the family was poor her fees were paid through the generosity of a friend of her grandmothers’. In 1901 she was only the second person and the first woman to graduate with a music degree from a New Zealand University.

Although a few of her compositions, mainly piano music, were published, she left a large trove of unpublished songs (over 60). She herself claimed to have written nearly 300 works, many of which are now lost. Only 12 songs were ever published, the last in 1940, the year she died.