Keith, Lady Jocelyn

Jocelyn Peach
Sep 13, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Jan 6

Registered Nurse, BA Hons 1983, Commander British Empire [CBE] for Service to Nursing 1987

Jocelyn Buckett was born on 18 August 1938 in Mount Gambier, Australia. Her parents Mervyn Roy and Gwyneth Marion (Pascoe) Buckett arrived in New Zealand, 1938.

Jocelyn Buckett prepared as a nurse in Wellington. After registration she worked in a number of nursing roles in Wellington: as a staff nurse with the Wellington Hospital Board in 1960 and as a public health nurse with the Department Health in Wellington 1960-1961. Married Kenneth James Keith on 13 May 1961 and is the mother of four children: Judith, John, Susan and Benjamin. She worked as a district nurse with Community Health Services in Wellington from 1977-1995.

Jocelyn Keith has worked in public health all her professional life including heading academic departments of public health and of nursing and midwifery in universities in New Zealand. As an academic leader she has held a range of positions: Lecturer in Community Health with the University of Otago from 1986-1994; and Head of Department Nursing Studies at Victoria University of Wellington from 1990-1992. She was a lecturer in community health with the Wellington School Medicine and the Department of Public Health, Wellington School Medicine Otago University from 1992-1994. Her outstanding contribution to university leadership was recognised in 2003 with an inaugural Hunter Fellowship.

Jocelyn Keith completed post-graduate education achieving a Bachelor [BA Hons] from Victoria University, Wellington in 1981. She then completed a Diploma in Community Health through Otago University, Dunedin, in 1982.

In 1987 Jocelyn Keith was acknowledged as a New Zealand Commander (CBE) for services to nursing.

Jocelyn Keith, as a noteworthy nurse and educator, has held many professional, academic, public and private sector roles in nursing and health-related fields. She has contributed professionally, in national fora as a member of advisory committee to the Nursing Council New Zealand in Wellington from 1986-1988. As a member of New Zealand Nurses Association NZNA, she was national president from 1984-1986. She was a member of the Public Health Association and New Zealand Federation University Women, Nursing Edition and Research Foundation (deputy chair from 1988). Jocelyn was national vice president of the National Council of Women in 1986. She was chair of the advisory committee on Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and STD Public Health Commission in 1993. She was a member of the parliamentary watch committee; she was chair of Diocesan of Wellington Social and Community Development Board from 1994. She was Canon of the Wellington Cathedral in 1995.

Jocelyn Lady Keith is one of New Zealand’s most senior nurses and has served as Vice President of the National Council of Women of New Zealand, and National President, New Zealand Red Cross. She represents the Asia Pacific Region on the Health and Community Services Commission for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and her scoping paper entitled “A new commitment to a humanitarian drug policy” based on reason and compassion that generates action, free from ideology, violence, stigmatization and discrimination was endorsed by the Commission.