Profiles of Motueka people
Motueka has its share of interesting people, achievers, and community minded workers - people who want to make a difference. We acknowledge and celebrate these people. Over 2010 - 2012 we talked with a range of interesting people and wrote profiles about what they do and why.
Scroll down this page and read about these people by clicking the "Full profile" links. Perhaps one day writing these profiles will be continued. [If any people want their profiles removed due to being too outdated, please contact the editor.]
Donna McLeod: Multi-skilled high achiever and community servant
(July 11th, 2012): Donna McLeod's life takes in a full range of community and political involvement, from working with some of New Zealand's most esteemed leaders to being a respected trustee of both Motueka High School and Te Awhina Marae. Full profile »
Patsy O'Shea: Ex-district councillor, now historian and avid genealogist
(June 4th, 2012): None of the major public events in Patsy O'Shea's life have been planned - not the six-term stint as a Borough and then District Councillor, nor the book she wrote on the history of the tobacco industry, nor the extensive work she's doing now in genealogy. Full profile »
Howie Timms: Chairman of Our Town and dedicated mututal funds manager
(May 9th, 2012): As one of the tallest people working in our CBD, the leader of the business organisation Our Town Motueka stands out literally and figuratively from the crowd. Full profile »
Wendy Brown: Keeping our older generation mobile through regular exercise
(April 17th, 2012): Being the longest standing employee at the Recreation Centre and for nine years a shelf stacker at New World supermarket, Wendy Brown must be one of the best known people in Motueka. Full profile »
Paul Johnson: Creative artist and passionate youth worker and advocate
(March 9th, 2012): If you think that our youth are a lost cause and need straightening out, Paul Johnson would like you to consider an alternative scenario - that properly channeled, young people have a huge contribution to make to our community. Full profile »
Linda Glew: Tireless worker for the vulnerable people in our community
(February 19th, 2012): A Quaker-based commitment to help society's more vulnerable people motivates keen gardener and angler Linda Glew in a wide range of roles within Motueka's social work networks. Full profile »
Linda Woodgate: Exponent of organic food and healing arts at Arcadia
(January 17th, 2012): From "career woman" television executive to owner of Arcadia Organics shop and cafe and champion for organic eating and natural health practices has been a radical step for Linda Woodgate, but one which is paying off through obvious inner contentment. Full profile »
Jacqui Taylor: Energetic promoter of Motueka's business and community
(December 13th, 2011): By the time this article is published, Our Town Motueka manager Jacqui Taylor will be on a well-deserved holiday, having spent around 150 hours organising and putting together yet another excellent High Street Starlight Parade. Full profile »
John Rimmer: Accomplished musician, teacher, bandmaster and composer
(November 14th, 2011): Motueka's gentle lifestyle attracts many retired people, some bringing with them talents which lift the community. One of New Zealand's eminent musicians, John Rimmer, is a great example through his contribution to the musical life of Motueka. Full profile »
Di Fairhall: Retired phlebotomist, dedicated quilter and country music fan
(October 26th, 2011): Some people see community needs and hope someone else will make them happen. Others, like recently superannuated Di Fairhall, just get stuck in and make it happen themselves. Full profile »
Peter Norman: Community-minded minister and once a Montana wine maker
(October 11th, 2011): To some old-time Methodists, a pastor who enjoys and is extremely knowledgeable about wine may seem an improbable fit, but St Andrew's Church minister Peter Norman has found a rich life through his involvement in both activities. Full profile »
Hilary Sinclair: Multi-talented high school music teacher
(September 24th, 2011): Being a self-confessed extrovert is a huge plus for any school music teacher, and that along with years of being part of an exciting range of musical and employment experiences have primed this 50-year-old well for her latest challenge. Full profile »
Mike Tooker: computer buff, tramper and environmental worker
(August 4th, 2011): Mike Tooker says he is fitter now than he was when he arrived in Motueka from Auckland 10 years ago, ample testament to the opportunities this region offers to people like Mike who enjoy outdoor activities like tramping and improving the environment. Full profile »
Lisa Ball: Mother of two and president of the Motueka Camera Club
(August 4th, 2011): The realisation in her teens during her first job that she had a good eye for light and colour has led Lisa Ball into an emerging business career, as well as her favourite hobby, as a photographer. Full profile »
Mark Chapman: Community Board member and tourism marketing manager
(July 15th, 2011): Taking on the job of running Motueka iSite in 2005 was an eye-opener for Mark Chapman. Seeing the vital role the information centre plays in building a strong community led to his decision to offer his services for a range of influential community groups. Full profile »
Margaret McQueen: Bus driver and promoter of family dance events
(June 30th, 2011): Her strong Scottish ancestry (her father was a proud Stuart) gave Margaret McQueen a natural introduction to one of the greatest loves of her life - Scottish Country dancing and now all forms of social dancing. Full profile »
Murray Owen: Community journalist and performing arts guru
(May 15th, 2011): As an out-and-about reporter for The Guardian community newspaper, Murray is one of the best known people in Motueka, but fewer locals know of his activities in his favourite life pursuit - performing arts, and particularly theatre and dance. Full profile »
Ria Ahearn: Events organiser devoted to the health and fitness of young people
(March 31st, 2011): As Events Coordinator working out of the Recreation Centre, Ria Ahearn is fast becoming a well-known institution around Motueka's community events calendar, which is quite a step up from the quiet "country girl" she was when she started at Motueka High School about nine years ago. Full profile »
Peter Fry: rugby rep, founder of Toad Hall, and Spring & Fern co-owner
(March 11th, 2011): In modern sports parlance, Spring & Fern co-owner Peter Fry would be called a "big unit", but this ex-rugby representative player is in fact a gently spoken, thoughtful man who largely keeps to himself his resolution to make the most of life. Full profile »
Rae Dozell: experienced administrator and camp mum for Whenua Iti students
(February 7th, 2011): Rae Dozell's 35 years experience as an administrator in a wide range of jobs is being put to good use at Whenua Iti Outdoors, where she is affectionately known as "camp mother" - ready to hand out plasters and hugs to the students there as they face up to new challenges in life. Full profile »
Sean Delany: Maori health worker who has overcome his own troubled past
(January 21st, 2011): The path taken by Sean Delaney from his childhood in the far north to his work in mental health at Te Awhina marae has been far from straight and narrow, but rather it has been filled with experiences good and bad that have led to his current dedication to the wellbeing of Motueka people, particularly youth. Full profile »
Beth Bryant: Champion for birds, biodiversity and our environment
(December 17th, 2010): Beth is driving locally an agenda she fervently believes in - that we need to learn to recognise, respect, treasure and learn how to take responsibility for the wellbeing of the natural values that we in Motueka are encircled with. And she has put these words into action through work to regenerate the Raumanukas. Full profile »
Matt Beech: Retired Anglican minister and community advocate for people in need
(November 27th, 2010): Retirement isn't holding ex-vicar Matt Beech back from doing what he loves most - living out his Christian faith within the community and advocating for those less able to stand up for themselves. Matt is part of a ministry team at St Thomas Anglican Church which is guiding the church into new services for Motuekans. Full profile »
Freda Gerslov: Flower grower, Soroptimist and Arts Council organiser
(November 15th, 2010): After 12 years' service as one of the key workers of the Motueka Arts Council, Freda Gerslov is looking forward spending a bit more time on her favourite pursuits of walking, U3A, her eight grandchildren, and planning her final visit to England, her country of birth. Full profile »
Jody Maru: Recreation Centre manager serving the whole community
(October 28th, 2010): Jody Maru is so dedicated to developing a better and more widely used Recreation Centre that the building has become pretty much her second home. But that's fine because her husband works in the same fiels and her two children love hanging out there after school. Full profile »
Finn Bulman: Student leader in community services and Youth Councillor
(October 8th, 2010): The September holidays are nearly over and Finn Bulman is relaxing in her family's Motueka Valley home overlooking productive fields and her nearby beloved river. Soon things will be getting serious as she prepares for her final term and exams at Motueka High School. Full profile »
Jim Butler: Worker for Grey Power and a voice for community organisations
(September 25th, 2010): Every good community organisation needs a good secretary among its committee, and both Grey Power Motueka and Keep Motueka Beautiful have just the right person in Jim Butler. Now 85 years old but still with the mind as sharp as a pin, Jim is also well known for his contributions to Motueka Community Board meetings. Full profile »
Pauline Samways: natural scientist and SeniorNet co-ordinator
(September 3rd, 2010): Pauline made time for our interview during the busy days leading up to the "Welcome to the Godwits" celebration, her current big project. Her work with "birding" and conservation, along with her years teaching at Lower Moutere School and her heavy involvement in organising SeniorNet have made her well known in the Motueka community. Full profile »
Sjors Brouwer: budget advisor, kayaking guide and fearless do-it-yourselfer
(August 20th, 2010): When Sjors and his wife Catherine decided to move to Motueka they reversed the usual local demographic trend. Instead of moving away from Mot to seek broader opportunities, they moved from busy European cities to a place where "anybody can do anything they choose". Full profile »
Shirley Frater: Champion of the arts, and builder of community networks
(August 5th, 2010): One of the main driving forces behind Motueka's Arts Council and other art-oriented community groups, Shirley Frater is a firm believer that these groups can help individuals to grow to a fuller potential as well as lift community pride and effort. Full profile »
Johny O'Donnell: a voice for youth and an aspiring politician
(July 21st, 2010): Not all high school dropouts do so out of laziness. Johny is an example of one who chose to leave school early in order to focus, for now, on issues about which he's passionate - advocating for youth and giving them a voice on the political stage. He's only 16, but this strapping, well-spoken Motueka lad is already making waves nationally. Full profile »
Laura Mueller: student leader and dancing teacher looks to the future
(July 10th, 2010): For one who's been considered shy in the past, Year 13 student Laura Mueller is now dedicating much of her efforts at school and in the community into helping other young people who are shy, particularly those who want to use dancing as an outlet. Laura was recently recognised at the 2010 Tasman Volunteer Youth Awards. Full profile »
Liz Salt: Festival of Lights organiser and backpacker owner
(July 1st, 2010): Liz was feeling just a little weary before our chat this week, and for good reason: she'd spent the past few weeks as the go-to person for the Festival of Lights, organising sudden changes of plan, checking on event organisers, and supportively attending every event in person. Now it's over, she had the finances and post mortems to tackle. Full profile »
Grant Douglas: gardening guru and community worker
(June 20th, 2010): Grant strongly believes that a good life consists of three periods: you learn stuff, then you do stuff, then you teach others how to do stuff. Although he's still doing plenty of learning and doing, Grant's life is now moving into the third phase as increasingly he finds himself helping and advising newbie gardeners on the secrets of growing plants. Full profile »
Kate Markham: busy mother and innovative youth worker
(June 6th, 2010): Kate got into youth work largely by accident, but this busy mother of three has taken to the task of helping at-risk youths with the vigour and empathy of a fully trained professional. See has also become involved in a range of community activities that have, invariably, been linked to the interests and activities of her growing children. Full profile »
Ron Sharp: gentle social activist and environmental champion
(May 26th, 2010): Ron's adult life has been devoted largely to working with and for people who needed a hand up, while also trying to use and live on a minimum of environmental resources. He is currently chairman of the Motueka Community House committee and is often seen there supporting community groups that use the rooms there. Full profile »
Anita Newport: young mother, business woman, and sustainability practitioner
(May 15th, 2010): Any young adults looking for a role model on how to balance family life, running a business and being involved in the community could do worse than learning from mother of two and Parkes Automotive co-owner, Anita Newport. Anita has set goals for herself to ensure her own children have a happy upbringing in a sustainable community. Full profile »
Malcolm Garrett, one very busy community worker
(May 3rd, 2010): A big man with a big heart, Malcolm Garrett is one great example of a "foreigner" (smile) who retires to Motueka, only to become heavily involved in the activities of the community he loves. Malcolm is a member of 10 community groups and clubs! And not just a member; in most cases he's on the committe or is (or was) chairman or such. Full profile »
Madhu O'Brien, holistic health worker
(April 22nd, 2010): Working at the Whanau Ora unit of Te Awhina Marae is taking multi-talented Madhu O'Brien one step closer to a dream she's held for nearly 10 years - to be part of a Wellness Centre for people seeking holistic growth, culture and adventure. Madhu has packed an enormous amount of experience and learning into her 28 years. Full profile »
Bob Cooke, tireless worker for Keep Motueka Beautiful
(April 12th, 2010): Since retiring from his business activities in Motueka, Bob has been a tireless worker and organiser for Keep Motueka Beautiful, the group behind so many of the places and walkways which have made Motueka a place proud of its outdoor spaces. Now in his 80th year, Bob Cooke is easing back on some of his more adventurous activities. Full profile »
Bev Clementson, ex-netball administrator and family lady
(April 3rd, 2010): If anyone can truthfully say they were born, raised, bred and lived their whole life in Motueka, Bev Clementson can. She's now living only a few hundred metres from the house in which she was home-birthed, and has lived 73 active years filled with fun, activity and the occasional anguish. Full profile »
Duncan Eddy, Motueka Community Board member
(March 15th, 2010): For some years he was seen more as an activist or protester, but fatherhood, successful tertiary education and more time to ponder have seen him turn to more positive contributions. "Rather than continually protesting about the bad things, it was time to focus primarily on building up the good things," he says. Full profile »
Dudley (Dud) McNabb, 90 years old this month
(March 3rd, 2010 - Article supplied): He has always enjoyed life as a family man, while his working life was spent mostly in carpentry but also the navy. Dud, as he is known to his family and friends, was born in Nelson in 1920. Brought up at Green Tree Road, Riwaka, along with his two brothers and six sisters, he attended Riwaka School. Full profile »
Paul Hawkes, Motueka Community Board member
(January 28th, 2010): His "inability to say no" has led Paul Hawkes into a variety of life experiences, ranging from being "Mister Christmas Lights" and leading the brass and pipe bands, to serving on the Motueka Community Board. And being on the (ahem) large side of average build has made him an ideal Father Christmas too, a role he's always been happy to fill whenever asked. Full profile »
Tara Forde, Motueka Community Board member
(December 12th, 2009): One of New Zealand's youngest local government politicians believes in possibilities, positives and grass-roots democracy - and learning the art of listening. "Young means being open to seeing what's happening and what could be," says Tara Forde, one of four elected members of the Motueka Community Board. Full profile »
