Ellen of Denniston

Valerie Millington has written a powerful and moving biography of her remarkable mother, Ellen, who grew up “on” Denniston, the coal mining township on top of a West Coast mountain in New Zealand’s South Island. Suddenly, everything dramatically changed when 17-year-old Ellen suffered a life-changing accident on ‘The Hill’.

Ellen spent three years in hospital enduring over 30 operations as doctors fought unsuccessfully to mend her injuries. She returned to Denniston, the ‘disabled girl.” Then, while living at an intimidating institution complex in Auckland, she fell in love with Les, a tutor who worked there. They married, had children and eventually moved to the small village of Ōhaupō in the Waikato. It was here that she was to play an important role, for which she received awards and accolades, in helping develop the National Fieldays at Mystery Creek into a multi-million dollar export earner for New Zealand. It is an inspiring story about how Ellen found ways through the darkest of days, and particularly her development of a positive mindset that resulted in a long, happy and productive life.