An OHS alumna who challenged barriers and built a successful career in a male-dominated trade.
Danielle Frost started at Onehunga High School in 1982. She was a confident student who enjoyed getting involved in school life. A champion gymnast, performer in school plays and regular finalist in school speech competitions, Dani was also a member of one of the school's two extension classes. n Sixth Form, Dani chose Automotive among her academic subjects. She came first in the subject that year and decided that it would be her career path. However, pursuing a career as a mechanic in the 1980s was not easy for a young woman. Despite her success in Automotive, Dani struggled to secure an apprenticeship because of her gender. Frustrated by the discrimination she experienced, she wrote articles and letters challenging the attitudes she encountered.
She eventually secured an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic with the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA), known for its Yellow Bus Company. She went on to work on diesel buses and trucks, establishing a career in an industry where few women worked at the time. In 1991, Dani won an Overseas Industry Trade Award that took her to the Mercedes plant in Germany. Initially there for three months, she was offered employment and went on to live and work in Germany for nearly two years. During this time, she also assisted a pit crew involved in the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco.
While living in Germany, Dani developed multiple sclerosis. On returning to New Zealand, she worked for a diesel company before becoming a tutor at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT). As the only woman in her department, she continued to speak up for women working in the trades. Her career later took her to Dubai, where she helped MIT establish technical training schools. Dani was one of the early OHS students to pursue a career in a trade traditionally dominated by men. She faced discrimination along the way but went on to build a successful career both in New Zealand and overseas.
In Her Own Words: 'This Is Not a Fairy Tale' In July 1985, Dani wrote an article titled This Is Not a Fairy Tale for The Critique, describing her experience of trying to secure an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic. She recalled attending an interview at a garage advertising an apprenticeship. Although the interviewer acknowledged that she was bright, he questioned why she wanted to become a mechanic rather than a secretary. She was then told that the foreman did not like the idea of a woman working there. Concerns were raised about women's physical strength, and she was informed that if a qualified male applicant came forward, he would be given the position. Throughout her article, Dani returned to one line: 'For I am a woman.'
Her article gives us a glimpse of the barriers women faced entering the trades in the 1980s. Dani challenged those attitudes and went on to have a career that took her around the world. Her story is an important part of Onehunga High School's history and one worth sharing with our students today.
With thanks to John Pipe, OHS Archivist, for sharing Danielle's story from the Term 3, 2026 OHS Archives Newsletter.
