{{Short description|New Zealand politician (1927–2008)}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Sir Hamish Hay |honorific_suffix = |image = Hamish Hay, 1971.jpg |alt = |caption = Hay in 1971 |office = 42nd Mayor of Christchurch |term_start = 12 October 1974 |term_end = 14 October 1989 |predecessor = Neville Pickering |successor = Vicki Buck |deputy = {{Collapsible list|title=''See list''|1={{plain list| * Peter Skellerup (1974–1980) * Rex Lester (1980–1983) * Maurice Carter (1983–1989) }} }} |birth_date = {{Birth date|1927|12|8|df=y}} |birth_place = Christchurch, New Zealand |death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|09|7|1927|12|8|df=y}} |death_place = |birth_name = Hamish Grenfell Hay |party = |spouse = {{marriage|Judith Leicester Gill|1955}} |relations = {{ubl|James Hay (father)|David Hay (brother)|Laurie Salas (sister)|Ernst Hay (uncle)}} |children = 5 |alma_mater = |occupation = |profession = |signature = |signature_alt = }} '''Sir Hamish Grenfell Hay''' (8 December 1927 – 7 September 2008) was a New Zealand politician. He served as mayor of Christchurch for fifteen years, from 1974 to 1989, and is the city's longest-serving mayor.
==Early life and family== Hay was one of four children of philanthropist Sir James Hay; David was his identical twin brother.<ref name="Herald obit">{{cite news |title=Former Christchurch mayor dies |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10531055 |access-date=18 August 2013 |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |date=8 September 2008}}</ref><ref name="Sir Hamish farewelled" /> He was educated at St Andrew's College from 1940 to 1944, and became an accounting clerk in 1945.<ref name="Sir Hamish farewelled" /> 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.<ref name="Sir Hamish farewelled" /> 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.<ref name="Herald obit" /> Hay retired from his business interests when he became the Mayor of Christchurch in 1974.<ref name="Sir Hamish farewelled" />
His engagement to Judith Leicester Gill was announced in February 1955; at the time he lived in Riccarton and she lived in Sumner. They were married three months later at Christchurch on 14 May 1955.<ref>{{cite news |title=Current notes |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19550516.2.15.2 |access-date=2 October 2024 |work=The Press |volume=XCI |issue=27659 |date=16 May 1955 |page=2}}</ref><ref name="Mayoress obit">{{cite news |title=Ex-mayoress Hay farewelled |work=The Press |url= https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-press/20141230/281595238893519 |date=30 December 2014 |page=A3}}</ref> They were to have five children.<ref name="Sir Hamish farewelled" />
==Political career== Hay entered local politics in 1959, when he stood as a candidate for the Christchurch City Council.<ref name="Library bio">{{cite web |title=Sir Hamish Hay 1927–2008 |url= http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/People/HayHamish/ |publisher=Christchurch City Libraries |access-date=18 August 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Sir Hamish farewelled" /> 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.<ref name="Sir Hamish farewelled" /> The second largest auditorium in the town hall, the James Hay Theatre, is named after his father.<ref name="Herald obit" /> During his final term as a councillor, Christchurch hosted the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.<ref name="Sir Hamish farewelled">{{cite news |date=31 January 2009 |title=Sir Hamish farewelled |newspaper=Stuff |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/623415 |access-date=18 August 2013}}</ref>
He stood for mayor in the election of 1974, defeating Labour incumbent Neville Pickering.<ref name="Herald obit" /> He went on to become Christchurch's longest-serving mayor, holding the position for five consecutive terms.<ref name="Herald obit" />
Hay retired as Mayor in 1989 for health reasons. Victoria Street through Victoria Square was closed towards the end of his mayoralty for the square's redevelopment, and the Victoria Bridge was renamed Hamish Hay Bridge in his honour.<ref name="Thornton">{{cite book| last=Thornton |first= Geoffrey|year= 2001| title=Bridging the Gap: Early Bridges in New Zealand 1830–1939|publisher= Reed Books|location= Birkenhead, Auckland, New Zealand| ISBN= 0-7900-0810-6| page=243}}</ref> He was succeeded by Vicki Buck. He published his autobiography, ''Hay Days'', in the year of his retirement from the mayoralty.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sir Hamish Hay dies |url= http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/2062527 |access-date=18 August 2013 |newspaper=One News |date=8 September 2008}}</ref>
In 1995, Hay returned to the political scene, representing Christchurch North on the Canterbury Regional Council until 2001.<ref name="Library bio" />
Hay served for some years as chairman of the New Zealand Museums Trust, which oversaw the construction of New Zealand's national museum Te Papa, and as deputy chairman of the Charles Upham Trust.<ref name="Stuff obit">{{cite news |title=Former Chch mayor Sir Hamish Hay dies |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/617742 |access-date=18 August 2013 |newspaper=stuff.co.nz |date=8 September 2008}}</ref>
==Honours== Hay was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1982 Queen's Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=49010 |date=12 June 1982 |page=39 |supp=3}}</ref>
Judith, Lady Hay, was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order (QSO) for community service in the 1987 New Year Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=50766 |page=34 |date=31 December 1986|supp=3}}</ref> In 1993, she was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/our-programmes/new-zealand-royal-honours/new-zealand-royal-honours-system/types-new-zealand-royal-honours/other-distinctive-new-zealand-honours/suffrage-medal-register |title=The New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993 – register of recipients |date=26 July 2018 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |access-date=18 September 2018}}</ref> In the 1998 Birthday Honours, she was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to the community.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/node/394 | title=The Queen's Birthday Honours List 1998 | work=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | access-date=3 January 2015 | first=Marie | last=Shroff | date=1 June 1998}}</ref>
==Later life== Having retired from public office in 2001, Hay began suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He died in September 2008, aged 80. His funeral service was held at Knox Church.<ref name="Sir Hamish farewelled" /> Lady Hay moved to her family home in Akaroa after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and lived there until she started to need care.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Crean|first1=Mike|title=Mayoress was a public figure in her own right|work=The Press|date=14 February 2015|page=C12}}</ref> She died on 26 December 2014.<ref name="Mayoress obit" />
==Bibliography== *{{cite book |last=Hay |first=Hamish |author-link=Hamish Hay |title=Hay Days |year=1989 |publisher=Caxton Press |location=Christchurch |isbn=0908563310}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before = Neville Pickering}} {{s-ttl | title = Mayor of Christchurch |years = 1974–1989}} {{s-aft | after = Vicki Buck }} {{end}}
{{Authority control}} {{Mayors of Christchurch}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hay, Hamish}} Category:1927 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Mayors of Christchurch Category:New Zealand Knights Bachelor Category:Christchurch City Councillors Category:People educated at St Andrew's College, Christchurch Category:20th-century mayors of places in New Zealand Category:20th-century New Zealand politicians Category:New Zealand twins Category:Lyttelton Harbour Board members Hamish