Kate McCosh Clark

Born in Ipswich, England, in 1847, Kate Emma McCosh Clark (née Woolnough) later made her life in New Zealand after marrying James McCosh Clark in 1875. She was active not only as a writer but also as an artist and community worker, and she exhibited with the Auckland Art Society.

Her writing is especially remembered for A Southern Cross Fairy Tale (1891), an early New Zealand children’s book that she both wrote and illustrated. She also published Persephone and Other Poems (1894) and Maori Tales and Legends (1896), and sources note that she wrote newspaper pieces and short stories for magazines as well.

Clark spent part of her life in England before returning to New Zealand, and she remained involved in public and charitable work, including women’s and social organizations. She died in Auckland in 1926, leaving behind a body of work that connects children’s storytelling, poetry, art, and an interest in New Zealand life and legend.