Early life Locke was the youngest of six children, born Elsie Violet Farrelly in
Hamilton, New Zealand on 17 August 1912. She was the daughter of William John Allerton Farrelly (1878–1945) and Ellen Electa Farrelly (née Bryan; 1874–1936). Both of Locke's parents were born in New Zealand, and while only educated to primary level (see ), they were both progressive thinkers. William's intelligence was recognised early at school, and he strongly encouraged education for his children, himself being unable to continue his education past Standard Six. Jack was soon posted in
Christchurch by the Communist Party, and in 1944 they moved into 392 Oxford Terrace, a "tiny gingerbread cottage" with an outside toilet, on the banks of the
Avon River. Both have been long-time peace and anti-nuclear activists.
Communist Party and tuberculosis Locke joined the Communist Party in 1933, and was a leading party activist, particularly in the 1930s. This society was the forerunner of the Family Planning Association. Jack was the chairman of the Christchurch branch of the party, and their candidate in several elections during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954 she self-published a book of her poetry,
The Time of the Child: A Sequence of Poems. Writing became very important to Locke, who managed to keep a room to herself in their tiny house for more than 50 years. Locke's essay, one of 105 entries in the category, was an account of her reasons both for joining, and leaving, the Communist Party, and was published in
Landfall 48 (December 1958). Locke's work for the School Publications Branch had revived her interest in her hometown, Waiuku, and her second children's book,
The End of the Harbour: An Historical Novel for Children (1968), was based on the town's history.
Later life Along with
Rod Donald, Locke was active in the founding of the Avon Loop Planning Association (ALPA) and in the ongoing development of community in the historic Avon Loop residential area in central
Christchurch. Locke received an honorary
D.Litt from the
University of Canterbury in 1987 for her work in the community. Locke campaigned for a more balanced understanding of New Zealand history. Elsie Locke died in Christchurch on 8 April 2001. == Commemoration ==