Famous for her soapbox oratory in Wellington streets in the 1930s, communist Connie Rawcliffe (later Birchfield) was politicised by her experience of hard manual work, unemployment and social injustice.

Visionary, hard-working and utterly dedicated to improving the economic, social and cultural position of Māori, Āpirana Ngata was an inspirational leader from the 1890s until his death in 1950.

Dedicated activist Sonja Davies fought for the universal human right to ‘bread and roses’ – not just the necessities, but the finer things of life.