In 1989, Frances Porter (1925-2022) wrote a biography that went on to win awards and to enlarge our understanding of women’s history. But Born to New Zealand: A Biography of Jane Maria Atkinson was only one of many achievements of this remarkable, independent historian. Her meticulous research documented women’s lives in ways that both informed larger historical analyses and captured the nuances of past experience. Professor Charlotte Macdonald's words honouring Frances Porter’s life and work can be found here.