
Elsie Violet Locke (née Farrelly; 17 August 1912 – 8 April 2001) was a New Zealand communist writer, historian, and leading activist in the feminism and peace movements.
Biography[]
Locke was the youngest of six children, born Elsie Violet Farrelly in Hamilton, New Zealand on August 17, 1912. Probably best known for her children's literature , The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature said she “made a remarkable contribution to New Zealand society,” for which the University of Canterbury awarded her an honorary D.Litt . in 1987. She was married to Jack Locke, a prominent member of the Communist Party . Elsie Locke died in Christchurch on April 8, 2001.