Background
Dell was born in 1924, the daughter of Ruby Miriam Crawford and Gerald Matthews.
Dell was born in 1924, the daughter of Ruby Miriam Crawford and Gerald Matthews.
She studied science at the University of Auckland, and at age 22 in 1946, she married Richard Dell.
She became National President of the Council in 1970. She was elected to the Board of Officers of the International Council of Women (ICW) in 1976 and was International President 1979-1986, Honorary President 1986-1988 and was coordinator of the ICW Development Project Program until her retirement. Dell was or remains associated with the following organisations: Wellington Airport Independent Review Panel National Museum Council Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Project Development Board National Council of Women Pan Pacific and South East Asia Women"s Association New Zealand Federation of University Women The Commonwealth Foundation International Council of Women 1993 Suffrage Centennial Year Trust Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand (Ecology) New Zealand Conservation Authority Wellington Conservation Board.
Dell was a founding member of the Hutt Valley Branch of the National Council of Women (NCW). In 1974, she became chairperson of the Committee on Women and was coordinator for International Women"s Year, attending as a member of the New Zealand Government delegation at all three of the United Nations Conferences for the Decade of Women.