An unanticipated name for many, Vera Burt might be. Yet, hidden within the annals of the 20th century, she stands as a firm reminder of classic values, true grit, and enduring principles. Born in New Zealand on December 28, 1927, Vera Burt’s life stretched into the dawn of a chaotic millennium, ending in 2017. Burt was not just a woman of substance but a pioneer in realms traditionally denied recognition due to societal barriers, and dare I say it — typically hailed by those with strong traditional values.
Vera Burt wasn't just sitting around when she made her stride into history. Oh no! While the rest of the world was tangled in political correctness, gender quotas, and identity politics, Burt was unapologetically making a difference where it truly mattered. She used her brains, brawn, and a big helping of backbone, plunging headfirst into a male-dominated engineering world—long before it became a fashionable cause célèbre. It was the 1960s, after all, the cacophony of Vietnam War protests and counterculture movements swirling about, yet Burt ambled her own path. As New Zealand's first female radio and electronics technician, she cemented her place in history, not because it was handed to her, but because she earned it.
Now, for those dazzled by today's superficial symbols of empowerment, here's a history lesson: this was an era when jobs didn't have to come with hashtags to be revolutionary. Vera Burt laid the groundwork with pure skill and resilience—traits any sensible individual would regard with unparalleled respect. While culture wars played out around the globe, Vera Burt was focused on the real battles: breaking tangible glass ceilings.
Some might say Burt's contributions are buried under layers of more 'modern tale-tellers,' yet isn't it a travesty that authentic, lasting impacts like hers are silenced? She co-founded the Women in Engineering group within the New Zealand Institution of Engineers, an initiative that brought real change. Don’t you miss the days when hard work and personal merit were the ultimate game-changers?
But her journey didn’t stop there. Burt was a judo expert. Yes, that’s right. While others might be trying to throw a punch in social media echo chambers today, she was literally mastering the art of throwing people. Here was a woman who got up from the mat every time society tried to push her down—not unlike the conservative warriors consistently maligned yet never defeated.
She went on to lead significant technological advancements at the University of Canterbury. The only hue she truly concerned herself with was getting those circuit boards just right. It’s almost poetic to consider her involvement in establishing the first electronic engineering degree in New Zealand — a venture pouring knowledge and skilled personnel into society, aiming for practical solutions rather than engaging in abstract symbolism.
In 2015, amid the backdrop of an ever-polarizing world, Vera Burt was rightfully recognized with the Queen's Service Medal. Deservedly so, but astonishing isn't it, how genuine sanctity arises not from a roomful of cheerleaders but from an individual triumphant in substantive fields, leaving marks that withstand time.
Her memoirs, filled with delightful quips like, 'a few women alongside me would give those men a run for their money,' read like a page-turner, and should, frankly, be mandatory reading material for anyone advocating for real people's empowerment. A compelling argument for doing, not just saying, if you will.
We find ourselves now in a culture where everyone is a self-proclaimed hero, clawing for visibility on abuse of reason, rather than true merit. Let us not forget Vera Burt—a woman who bypassed noise not through tweets and hashtags but through tangible skills and relentless efforts. Too often, society lauds figures who check vogue inclusivity boxes, yet mysteriously, stories like Burt’s can quietly inspire actual change.
Would Vera Burt be seen chanting slogans on a stage? Unlikely. Her battlefield belonged to the realm of application, expertise, and self-evidence. Unbothered by vacuous virtues, she was too busy finding genuine solutions, sticking to her goals. In a world filled with tin soldiers, we need more Vera Burts: those who win battles unseen, unsung, yet ever so vitally indispensable.