Elizabeth Best Taylor OBE JP (née Ellison; 21 September 1868 – 27 April 1941) was a New Zealand temperance worker, community leader and social reformer.
- Early life: Born in Lyttelton, New Zealand. She briefly taught at the Christchurch Normal School.
- Family: Married Thomas Edward “Tommy” Taylor in 1892; they had six children, including five daughters and one son (Ted Taylor).
- Temperance activism: A founding member of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (1896) and a prominent figure in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union New Zealand (WCTU NZ). She served as president of the WCTU NZ from 1926 to 1935.
- International work: Represented the WCTU NZ at the Pan‑Pacific Conference in Honolulu (1928) and later became president of the Dominion Pan‑Pacific Women’s Association.
- Public service: One of New Zealand’s first Justices of the Peace.
- Honours: Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1937 Coronation Honours for social welfare services.
- Death: Died in Dunedin on 27 April 1941 and is buried near her husband in Addington Cemetery, Christchurch.
Sources: Wikipedia entry “Elizabeth Taylor (social reformer)” accessed via r.jina.ai; Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.
