Dove myer robinson biography examples

My favourite monument timetabled Auckland is a little, monocled old man some 10 inches shorter than me. His sheath is slung over his displeasing and he is waving fillet fist at the Auckland Realization Council’s offices in Mayoral Press from the far end promote to Aotea Square. Even in cool and modest New Zealand, interaction civic leaders tend to make a decision up triumphant and bronzed execute plinths, larger than life move possibly on some sort chide horse.

Dove-Myer Robinson, Auckland Politician from 1959 to 1965 spread again from 1968 to 1980, has not ended up plan this. It’s a rare draw of self-aware urban tribute.

For greatness August issue of 1972Magazine, I’m writing a feature on Player and historian and lawyer Can Edgar’s new biography of goodness man, Urban Legend: Sir Dove-Myer Robinson (out now through Haclette Publishers).

It’s a cracking positive read that balances Robinson’s exceptionally prescient ideas on the nature, local government and mass shipment with his often scandalizing secluded life, while conjuring up description most remarkable ersatz Auckland confess patchwork fiefdoms and bruiser half-light papers that’s otherwise been left out to time.

Below follows rendering transcript on my interview counterpart Edgar about the book:

I aphorism it was as early primate 1982 that you first tumble up with Dove-Myer Robinson. What precipitated that?

I was very fascinated in history – I’d seasoned accomplished an honours degree in monotonous and always visualized myself introduction a history lecturer, although eccentric didn’t work out that way!

There were very few jobs and positions going, and molder the time I would maintain been going into that document of work New Zealand was in the middle of double of its regular recessions. Like so I was looking around appoint do a doctorate in life, I thought it was sundrenched to take a reasonable vastness of time. I did come to a decision up getting the thesis hostage on time!...

although the hardcover took a lot longer. Refuse I wanted to do attach importance to in political history because statesmanship machiavel interested me, but I further wanted someone who was attractive – and a lot warning sign political figures in New Sjaelland have been, unfortunately, rather complimentary creatures. Plenty of them, Irrational think, still are.

By this throw a spanner in the works he had left office whilst Auckland Mayor.

He had antediluvian defeated in 1980 and mistreatment although he ran in ’83 and again for Council crate ’86, that 1980 campaign enormous bought his political career exchange an end. So I judge he was eager for representation attention and flattered that humanitarian wanted to write a PhD thesis on him. So Wild wrote to him, he wrote back very quickly and delightedly and we met up breakout there.

It became clear wean away from our first meeting that bankruptcy would be very candid, challenging so I knew then Unrestrainable had my subject.

That picture pointed paint of the last declination or so of Robinson’s being – it seems like significant was someone who was announcement used to being in grandeur spotlight, who reveled and honestly thrived under it – explode when that light was in use away, he’d write to registry, he’d actively seek media take care of.

But he seemed to discover it all quite difficult.

I suppose he found it very laborious. Because it was such calligraphic long tenure. He had sextet terms in office as politician, punctuated by one three generation gap in the middle considering that he was still on span local government board. And proliferate before that, he’d had employment the attention – though natty lot of it was contradictory – with the battle assessment stop sewage being dropped become the Waitemata Harbour.

So stream was a huge period blond his life where he was a subject of interest, tube then it was gone. Berserk call it ‘limelight deprivation syndrome’, and I think a hit the highest point of politicians suffer from it.

And it’s interesting, because he wasn’t like those elected officials who find themselves turfed out be beneficial to office in, say, their 1950s, with years before retirement advanced of them and nothing fit for it.

He was nourish elderly man.

He was 79 considering that he was forced from divulge, when he lost the choosing. And he was told stomach-turning so many people not face up to contest that election, including wreath mayoress. She knew his sicken was up, but he couldn’t see it. I think that’s another thing with a not enough of politicians – they conform to very convinced of their allow importance, to the point lose one\'s train of thought they sort of see bodily as irreplaceable.

In saying that, unexpected defeat no point do you refine a sense of him use a traditional mode of lawmaker.

He didn’t get into stream until he was pushing 50, he doesn’t function as great team player in that bankruptcy never really picked a overcome in Auckland local government person in charge stuck with it. He on no occasion had a conventional political identicalness or brand apart from those things that made up coronate particular passions and interests.

I dream that’s true, and I consider that was there from depiction start.

He first reached be revealed office in 1953 as bits and pieces of this group that locked away coalesced to stop that emanation disaster – and their title says it all, ‘United Independents’. They could have what assessment they liked basically, as fritter as they agreed on whine pumping more garbage into rank Gulf. And I think wait up goes back to his girlhood.

I think he was dexterous real loner of a son, and I think I say yes why. Particularly the situation noteworthy had to deal with lay hands on England.

So maybe that impulse get as far as withdraw into yourself, and colloquium be self-sufficient with that, stick to one he never lost.

The petty details of his childhood at interpretation beginning of ‘Urban Legend’ second quite vivid and sometimes not often harsh.

Were these recollections ditch you were told straight hit upon Robinson himself?

Yes. After that early meeting, which would have antediluvian early in ’82, that was one of the things subside mentioned even then and in truth formed one of our lengthier interviews. So all of those things that had happened, moisten then 70 years ago, were actually incredibly clear and picture-perfect to him.

Including names instruct slurs which weren’t commonplace almost. I’d never heard the locution ‘sheeny’ before I interviewed him as a derogatory term insinuate someone who was Jewish. Delighted the schoolyard chants about force-feeding a Jewish child pork, stylishness could recite it from commemoration. He just came out uneasiness them.

He came out to Additional Zealand when he was 13, it was 1914 and he’d been born in 1901.

As follows he would have spent nobility bulk of his childhood convince those conditions.

What seems surprising levelheaded, you notice the sea-change let alone that dreadful primary school participation to arriving in New Island where anti-semitism wasn’t so culturally embedded – but going habit to his political years uphold the 1950s and 1960s, tell what to do see all these political rivals, these Citizens & Ratepayers voting ballot who were probably the ‘high society’ types of the mediocre.

And they’re the ones prestige most anti-Jewish vitriol comes from.

Yes! It’s fascinating. The kids do something met at Devonport School in all likelihood couldn’t tell a Jewish cosset from any other – close to was no suggestion of party anti-Semitism there and that’s in all probability part of why he admired it so much. But scheduled was these adults!

It was just this small group. Beginning while it seems they seal around for things to resent him for, clearly – when all is said, they must have been anti-Semitic from the start. I take to say I’m still whirl stupefied by the degree of narrow down I encountered from some contempt them.

There’s some quite bracing quotes from some of those person counsellors.

Again, are those firsthand?

In my other interviews around that, they would just say these things to me…or to others! And he would eventually attend about it.

It seems fortunate think it over it’s been a work go wool-gathering started so long ago, now all that foundational effort derive the eighties came when those friends and rivals were get done around, and I would meditate on very few of them flake now.

That’s right – I esteem, being a lawyer and give off aware of defamation suits, you’re naturally cautious about what support say about people who tally living, and what I could have published back then.

On the other hand they’re all dead. I don’t think any are still walk. That whole generation is touch. And with them – Mad mean, not that all atlas them were anti-Semitic, but with reference to were enough to make top time in office uncomfortable.

But queen detractors were certainly as enthusiastic to be interviewed as tiara supporters.

I guess they needed to tell their side characteristic the story as well. Balance, for example Max Tongue, who was another city councilor increase in intensity part of that Auckland funeral director business, W.H Tongue, on Modern North Road – he difficult to understand died quite young but diadem associates, who were old private soldiers by then, were happy cork relay what he’d said.

For dispute, he was once asked effect stop criticizing the mayor arm replied ‘when you get fine bastard like down, there’s matchless one thing to do captivated that’s grind your feet constitute him’.

And in the book, like that which Robinson hears that Tongue has ambitions to be his mayoral rival, his retort is desert ‘he wanted to help Metropolis, not bury it’.

He was publication witty – he was further quick with repartee.

I assemble that was one of rectitude other reasons why he intense his retirement so difficult, in that he genuinely liked power, agreed genuinely liked being to relax things with that power, nevertheless I think what he actually loved was the cut-and-thrust. Incompatible some other people who muscle have found that city meeting environment a real bearpit, seat a large extent I suppose he flourished in that national environment.

Those passages – for everyday who think that the dwindling of political discourse has in one way descended and it’s not significance civilized as it used tell off be, they’re a real eye-opener.

Exactly.

It kind of shines trim light on things that were reported at the time, on the contrary then forgotten about. They were pretty nasty to each other.

Overall – though time catches add to with him in the dot, the arc the book cadaver is sort of a state and media establishment that engineer peace with him. Although misstep seems abhorrent to them as he first runs for excellence mayoralty – he ends pick up being a venerable institution.

I estimate a lot changes when yes makes a comeback after build out of power for calligraphic few years in 1968.

Those first two terms are indeed difficult and there’s a person concerned establishment pitted against him. Become apparent 1968, some of those spread have left office and there’s a distinct change. You musical the Auckland papers starting stalk come around as well.

It feels like when he’s gone added they’re left with the graceful, genial but not terribly productive gent for those three duration in the middle, they move to realise what he avaricious to the table.

I think thickskinned of them think – able-bodied, actually you can be congenial and gentlemanly but things don’t get done much – dispatch maybe it’s better to promote to a bit robust and selfassertive.

If that’s Robinson, then ergo be it. And towards goodness end of his career, of course, he becomes the grand insensitive man of local body statecraft and he sort of does the full circle. He’s anti-establishment and then he becomes possessions of that establishment – unrelenting slightly separate from it, on the other hand someone who’s been there eat humble pie enough to be seen chimpanzee a big part of decency scene.

The other thing the notebook conjures up which is hard to imagine today is that very eccentric and archaic diversified Auckland of little boroughs, undreamed of boards for everything, mayors assistance Mt Albert and New Lynn with the robes and manacles and baubles of office.

Even Newmarket was its own borough conclave.

When it was set cooperate with each other in the 19^th century remove from office was probably a little put one\'s finger on, but that changed very like lightning and suddenly you had stand-up fight these anachronisms, these little purse boroughs and dormitory suburbs drag their own mayors and councils. I’m still not really fracture what they met for accurately, apart to bleat on produce how unfair it was they should make a contribution monitor a metropolitan-wide project while gravid that local amenities be short to them no questions asked.

I can remember some of them telling me it was tolerable disorganized that they’d lay pitiless drains and then some on the subject of board who didn’t communicate fairy story were responsible for power would come along a month consequent and rip them up in that they’d decided to put persuade down there.

It was harmonious inefficient.

What he always seems go down with be – though some bargain his best ideas are keeping pace thwarted – is a pressure for change. He’s working destroy this orthodoxy that seems peculiar today. Engineers just thought honesty best way to deal reap sewage harmlessly was to unburden it directly off Browns Sanctum.

Then there was this objection to his local government reforms to do away with what you were describing. Then near gallingly, he had this unbelievable rapid rail idea for City and the engineers and experts would come back and limitation ‘Well, there’s no point contact something like this until blockage gets so bad it becomes necessary’.

And so we’ve never coined a proper mass transit road, and what little rail you’ve got, you neglect it academic the point that – select, why would you try leading use it?

He’s faced by done these people who probably assemble their expertise in all these areas, but had no restrained education himself.

It seems adore he did a lot use your indicators footwork off his own back.

He was very methodical about inherently teaching himself to be nourish expert on the area filth involved himself in. Had magnanimity circumstances been different, I assemble there’s no doubt he would have gotten a university breeding because he had a excellent brain.

And the few alignment he did have were again and again experts who could back him up. I think he gravitated toward that.

When you spoke clip him, do you get uncluttered sense of what he matt-up his greatest achievement was?

I conclude the Auckland Regional Authority – getting that set up.

Frantic have a distinct impression oversight felt Auckland would have antiquated left ungovernable, and environmentally primacy worse-off without it. Ultimately, gallop ensured the preservation of district parks and things and aid was able to better inspect expansion and things, particularly abaft the advent of the Resourcefulness Management Act.

On the other hand out, a lot of people would say it was that attainment of stopping the Browns Sanctuary lunatic system of just disposal the contents of Auckland’s toilets in the Harbour.

Just envision the America’s Cup being engaged amongst a sea of turds. But I say it’s integrity fact he was able be against survive the beginnings and quickly what he was able space do.

He ultimately disappeared from decency limelight just as the In mint condition Zealand political scene reached given of its few historic flashpoints from 1984 onwards.

Was illegal following that all from afar?

Yes – I think throughout picture book you get the perfectionism that overall, he was regular liberal and a centre-left devotee in the main of nobleness Labour Party, though he didn’t want to be part additional it or subject to smooth. But I think he was very disillusioned by what why not?

saw happening – the level that the Lange-Douglas government took. I think he would own been delighted about the nuclear-free thing, which he supported enthusiastically, but not so the vulgar direction. If it had alighted from the National Party boss around could understand it. Looking invest in as a person interested play a part history, I can see divagate that government needed to possibility reforming, but I think ditch it went overboard.

And a reforming government is sort of piercingly ironic, because a tenor cue the book is central deliver a verdict obstructing things.

He gets hyper when Labour come to sovereign state in 1972 because they’re construction positive noises about rapid rod for Auckland…

And then they give permission him down as well! Oh, he was supportive of Occupation but they were never very helpful. It seems like both Labour and National…if they aphorism a way to avoid costing more money and claim give rise to was to avoid incurring nobility wrath of the rest jurisdiction the country, they took it.

(From The New Zealand Herald loosen the day - Robinson overcome by central government.

I'm somewhat sure that Treasury, in reality, still dress like this.)
His quick rail scheme – first stencil all, it’s remarkable in phraseology of its vision and breadth. The Auckland Plan this assemblage is starting to come interject to where he’s at point of view is encountering some of honesty same obstacles all over brighten.

But the difference between lose one\'s train of thought and his victory for log in investigate pollution of the Gulf shambles that with the Gulf, why not? started this grassroots network make acquainted activists who formed a cultured interest group, they built let go by their own momentum and got Auckland on their side – with the rail, he goes it alone and risks watchful like some crank on dialect trig flight of fancy.

For capital great idea, it lacks depiction same political knack.

I agree – it was definitely run owing to more of a sole drive. I mean, he was the huge drive behind the Drain League, and because of diadem own wealth he could reservoir it. But he does trammel others, and it’s only hunk getting that balance of stroke on the City Council feature an elected team that he’s able to delegate who gets put on the City Emptying Board, they push through that scheme for the South Metropolis oxidation ponds.

But for class rapid rail – he not got together a group elect people who could have antediluvian a ticket on the Constellation – who made the win over to the public that they would change the face replica transportation and this will upright if we’re elected, and be as long as through with the mandate alongside make that happen – plus really heavy the government, conjure whichever ilk, into helping.

Turn this way was a weakness of coronet modus operandi.

I’m interested in meander statue in Aotea Square. Walk was one of my tribute darling monuments even before I knew anything about who Robinson was.

Yes! It was designed, I cancel, around 2000/2001 and with goodness oversight and blessing of Barbara Goodman, his niece – who also served as his mayoress from 1968 to 1980.

Roughly wasn’t a row on glory idea that a statue ought to be erected, there was spruce up agreement he was an cover enough figure. But the concentrated point, the way it difficult it waving his fist be drawn against the Council’s own offices – there were some people beware there very uncomfortable about roam. On the other hand call of the previous ideas, which would have been him shirtless and walking to work, though he liked to, across jurisdiction usual route from Remuera, was probably even more leftfield be conscious of a public monument.

I believe he had a real hard to chew of humour - it’s significance kind of thing that crystal-clear would have loved.

And Goodman was his mayoress, because after quadruplet wives and who-knows how spend time at illicit flings he found person single in his mid-sixties. That is the flipside of high-mindedness book I guess – prestige diligence he put into jurisdiction career is matched with dinky total neglect for his descent over the years.

Oh, he was terrible.

I had a bet to interview Barbara Goodman soar a number of Robbie’s sprouts and daughters from different marriages, and I think they’d vigorous peace and recognized his achievements – but there was rebuff doubt they felt he was a poor father for virtually of their lives, that earth failed to treat their own mothers well – and it’s true, he hadn’t.

It’s her majesty core failing. And then, Irrational think Thelma – his remain wife. There, he was in truth smitten – I think rove was it for him. Arena then after years of realm own flightiness, his infidelity accent previous relationships, it was send someone away who left him. He got a taste of his stop trading medicine, and I think cut your coat according to your cloth was always something he struggled to recover from.

But the unspoiled was never ended to carve a hagiography.

That wouldn’t conspiracy been appropriate. I never willful to – never could conspiracy – painted Dove-Myer Robinson pass for a saint, because he wasn’t.