{{Short description|New Zealand farmer and businessman (1935–2004)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2019}} thumb|right|Elworthy in 2002 '''Sir Peter Herbert Elworthy''' (3 March 1935 – 11 January 2004) was a New Zealand farmer and businessman who came from an established South Canterbury farming family.

==Early life and family== Born in Timaru on 3 March 1935, Elworthy was the son of June Mary Elworthy (née Batchelor) and Harold Herbert Elworthy,<ref name="HBTQ">{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |authorlink1=Alister Taylor |authorlink2=Deborah Coddington |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |page=134}}</ref> and the grandson of Edward Elworthy. He had two brothers, Jonathan Elworthy, a New Zealand politician, and David Elworthy, a publisher.

Peter Elworthy was educated at Christ's College from 1949 to 1953, and then completed a diploma at Canterbury Agricultural College in 1955.<ref name="HBTQ"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://christscollege.com/old-boys/member-directory/ |title=Peter Elworthy: school number 5750 |publisher=Christ's College |accessdate=12 November 2019 |archive-date=2 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402131507/https://christscollege.com/old-boys/member-directory/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1987 P. H. Elworthy |url=https://livingheritage.lincoln.ac.nz/nodes/view/1077 |publisher=Lincoln University |accessdate=22 December 2019}}</ref>

In 1960, Elworthy married Fiona Elizabeth McHardy, and the couple went on to have four children,<ref name="HBTQ"/> including economist and social scientist Charles Elworthy.

==Career== Elworthy began his career as a farmer, and in 1971 he won a Nuffield New Zealand farming scholarship to the United Kingdom, where he studied British farmer cooperatives and agricultural politics.<ref name="HBTQ"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ruralleaders.co.nz/nuffield-scholars/ |title=Nuffield scholars |publisher=Rural Leaders |accessdate=12 November 2019}}</ref> He was founding president of the New Zealand Deer Farmers' Association between 1974 and 1981, and served as president of Federated Farmers from 1984 to 1988,<ref name="HBTQ"/> a period that included the market reforms of the fourth Labour government. From 1988 to 1989, he chaired the New Zealand Rural Trust, and was chairman of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust between 1987 and 1992.<ref name="HBTQ"/>

In the business sector, Elworthy held numerous company directorships, including Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-operative (1977–1982), Huttons Kiwi Ltd, BP New Zealand Ltd, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Skycity Entertainment Group, Port of Timaru Ltd, and Skellerup.<ref name="HBTQ"/> He was a member of the Institute of Directors.<ref>[http://www.iod.org.nz/Home/Member_Lists/Distinguished_Fellows.aspx Distinguished Fellows list of the Institute of Directors]</ref>

In 1993 he was a founding member of the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers, a political group that grew into ACT New Zealand.<ref>{{cite news |title=Group sets its sights |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=24 August 1993 |page=5 }}</ref>

==Hobbies== Elworthy owned a Tiger Moth aeroplane, which he used to fly around New Zealand.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

==Honours and awards== In 1987, Elworthy received the Bledisloe Medal for agriculture from Lincoln College.<ref name="HBTQ"/> In the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Knight Bachelor, for services to agriculture.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=51367 |date=11 June 1988 |page=33 |supp=3}}</ref> In 1990, he was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.<ref name="HBTQ"/>

In 2004, Elworthy was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businesshalloffame.co.nz/past-laureates/ |title=Past laureates |website=Business Hall of Fame |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref>

==Death== On 11 January 2004, Elworthy died suddenly of a heart attack early in the morning. He was survived by his wife and their four children.

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elworthy, Peter}} Category:1935 births Category:2004 deaths Category:People from Timaru Category:People educated at Christ's College, Christchurch Category:Lincoln University (New Zealand) alumni Category:20th-century New Zealand businesspeople Category:20th-century New Zealand farmers Category:New Zealand Knights Bachelor Category:Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Category:ACT New Zealand politicians Peter