Mary Jane Milne

{{Short description|New Zealand milliner and businesswoman}} thumb|Mary Jane Milne, circa 1880. '''Mary Jane Milne''' (16 September 1840 – 4 April 1921) was a New Zealand milliner and businesswoman, known as a co-owner of the Milne & Choyce department store in Auckland.

==Biography== She was born in Coalisland, County Tyrone, Ireland, on 16 September 1840. The family left Ireland in July 1863.<ref name="DNZB Milne">{{DNZB|title=Mary Jane Milne|first= Hilary F.|last= Reid|id=2m49|accessdate=23 April 2017}}</ref>

After arriving in New Zealand, Milne was employed as head milliner at Robert Graham's soft goods store in Shortland St. In 1866, partnering with her sister Charlotte, they took over a haberdashery and draper's store in Wyndham Street, relaunching as M & C Milne a "Millinery and Drapery Establishment". In 1875 Charlotte married Henry Choyce, and after the birth of their first child Henry replaced Charlotte as Mary Jane's business partner and the business was renamed Milne & Choyce.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Regnault |first=Claire |title=Dressed : fashionable dress in Aotearoa New Zealand 1840 to 1910 |date=2021 |publisher=Te Papa Press |isbn=978-0-9941460-6-9 |location=Wellington, New Zealand |pages=87–90 |oclc=1245592939}}</ref>

Milne retired at the age of seventy in 1909, but remained involved in Milne & Choyce until her death in 1921.<ref name=":0" />

In 2012, Milne was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businesshalloffame.co.nz/past-laureates/ |title=Past laureates |website=Business Hall of Fame |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milne, Mary Jane}} Category:1840 births Category:1921 deaths Category:19th-century New Zealand businesspeople Category:19th-century New Zealand businesswomen Category:Irish emigrants to New Zealand Category:People from Coalisland Category:Businesspeople from County Tyrone