 Gillham moved to Massey, where she moved into Moginie House to begin her one-year Botany exchange lectureship and wardenship at Massey University on 27 February 1957.She joined a one-week trip to Rotorua on 18 April 1957, and later headed to Wellington on 9 May 1957 where she spent time at the Animal Ecology section of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.Later that year in August Gillham visited Auckland, from which she travelled around the Hauraki Gulf visiting Mokohinau, Little Barrier and Rangitoto Islands.