Frederick Turnovsky

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Turnovsky, c. 1984

Frederick Turnovsky

OBE (28 December 1916 – 12 December 1994) was a notable New Zealand manufacturer, entrepreneur, advocate for the arts and community leader. He was born in Prague, Bohemia in 1916.[1]

Early life

Turnovsky was the second son of Max Turnovsky and Caroline Weiser. Max was a jeweller and of

Jewish ethnicity. Turnovsky was bilingual in Czech and German and attended a German-speaking school. At school he also learnt English and French. His interest in music began when he was seven and attended his first opera.[1]

At 16, while a school a

Hitler. In March 1939 he fled to London after being advised that the Gestapo were after him.[1]

New Zealand

On 27 June 1939 he married Liselotte Felicitas Wodaková at

Wellington, New Zealand. Arriving in January 1940 Turnovsky undertook casual employment. Founding the Tatra Leather Goods Company he manufactured and sold watch straps. The success of this venture led to a number of successful manufacturing ventures. Turnovsky was thought to be the first resident New Zealander to become a member of Lloyd's, the British insurance underwriters.[1]

Tatra was one of the largest makers of soft leather goods in Australasia by the mid 1960s and in 1966 was a government Export Award in 1966. Turnovsky represented the New Zealand Manufacturers Federation at the National Development Conference (1968–69) and was its president(1972–73 and 1979–80). He was appointed to the Manufacturing Development Council, was a member of trade missions to Pacific states (1971) and China (1973). He led a delegation of manufacturers to Canberra (1973), and was honorary consul for Mexico (1973–81).[1]

Because of his Social-Democrat beliefs, as chairman of the Development Finance Corporation from 1973 to 1976, he gave weight to social objectives as well as sound business procedures in the corporation's funding of new business ventures.

Arts

Turnovsky helped establish the

New Zealand Opera Company, and was chairman of its board from 1959 to 1969.[1]

He was also a founding member of the Arts Advisory Council in 1960, becoming deputy chairman of its successor, the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council of New Zealand, from 1970 to 1973.[1] In 1962 Turnovsky was appointed to the cultural sub-commission of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO. He was a member of the national commission (1963–88) and its chairman (1974–78). He was a member of UNESCO's executive board (1978–83).[1]

He was a trustee of the

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. In 1984 he set up the Turnovsky Endowment Trust to recognise and encourage outstanding achievement in the arts.[1]

For services to the arts, Fred Turnovsky was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1965 New Year Honours, and was a foundation member of the Order of New Zealand in 1988. The young Czech patriot had become one of the most eminent New Zealanders of his generation.[1]

Honours

In the 1965 New Year Honours, Turnovsky was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services in the field of music.[2] On 6 February 1988, Turnovsky was the tenth appointee to the Order of New Zealand.[3]

Death

Turnovsky died on 12 December 1994 in Wellington, survived by his wife, and their son and daughter.[1] His ashes were buried at Karori Cemetery.[4][5]

Autobiography

Turnovsky: Fifty Years in New Zealand. Allen & Unwin, 1990.

ISBN 9780046582623

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Renwick, William. "Frederick Turnovsky". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  2. ^ "No. 43531". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 29 December 1964. p. 44.
  3. ^ "The Order of New Zealand" (12 February 1988) 23 New Zealand Gazette 447 at 448.
  4. ^ "Cemeteries search (cremation)". Wellington City Council. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Cemeteries search (burial)". Wellington City Council. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
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