The newly-elected Anglican Bishop of Waikato hopes her appointment will be an inspiration to women priests in England, who are still barred from becoming bishops.
Helen-Ann Hartley was ordained in England in 2005 and is the first woman ordained in that country to become a bishop.
She has been in New Zealand since 2010 and is now the dean of pakeha students at St John's College in Auckland.
Dr Hartley believes her appointment will encourage a campaign in the Church of England for female bishops. She predicts England could have a woman bishop within three years.
She will be installed as the seventh Bishop of Waikato in February.
