Hamish Hay
| Sir Hamish Hay | |
|---|---|
| 42nd Mayor of Christchurch | |
|
In office 1974–1989 |
|
| Preceded by | Neville Pickering |
| Succeeded by | Vicki Buck |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 December 1927 |
| Died | 7 September 2008 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Spouse(s) | Judith Leicester Gill (m. 1955) |
| Relations |
James Hay (father) David Hay (brother) Laurie Salas (sister) |
| Children | Five |
Sir Hamish Grenfell Hay (8 December 1927 – 7 September 2008) was a New Zealand politician, who served as Mayor of Christchurch for fifteen years, from 1974 to 1989. He was Christchurch's longest-serving mayor.
Hay was one of four children of philanthropist Sir James Hay; David was his identical twin brother. He was educated at St Andrew's College from 1940 to 1944, and became an accounting clerk in 1945. In 1947, he joined the staff of Hay's, a department store, which was founded by his father and later became a publicly listed company. He became deputy managing director of the company in 1962, a position he held until 1974, when Hay's Ltd was merged with Wright Stephenson & Co. Hay retired from his business interests when he became the Mayor of Christchurch in 1974.
In 1955, Hay married Judith Leicester Gill. They were to have five children.
Hay entered local politics in 1959, when he stood as a candidate for the Christchurch City Council. Topping the poll, he went on to serve as a councillor for five consecutive terms. Like his father, he was a strong proponent of a town hall (as a performing arts centre) for Christchurch. He had been involved in the 'Town Hall Promotion' lobbying organisation, serving as the chairman of its finance committee from 1958. After his election as a Councillor, he continued to press for a town hall, and was instrumental in achieving that goal, eventually chairing the Town Hall Committee, which oversaw the construction of the Christchurch Town Hall, which opened in 1972. The second largest auditorium in the town hall, the James Hay Theatre, is named after his father.
He stood for mayor in the election of 1974, defeating Labour incumbent Neville Pickering. He went on to become Christchurch's longest-serving mayor, holding the position for five consecutive terms. During his first term, Christchurch hosted the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.
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