Jim Belich
Sir James Belich | |
---|---|
30th Mayor of Wellington | |
In office 30 October 1986 – 10 October 1992 | |
Deputy | Helene Ritchie (1986-88) Terry McDavitt (1988-89) David Watt (1989-92) |
Preceded by | Ian Lawrence |
Succeeded by | Fran Wilde |
Personal details | |
Born | Awanui, New Zealand | 25 July 1927
Died | 13 September 2015 Wellington, New Zealand | (aged 88)
Political party | Labour |
Spouse |
Valerie Anzulovich (m. 1951) |
Relations | James Belich (son) Camilla Belich (granddaughter)[2] |
Children | 3 |
Alma mater | Victoria University College |
Profession | Advertising agent |
Sir James Belich (25 July 1927 – 13 September 2015) was a New Zealand local politician. He was the mayor of Wellington from 1986 to 1992.
Biography
Early life and career
Belich was born on 25 July 1927, of
He worked for the firm J. Inglis Wright Advertising from 1956 to 1986. He was head of the firm from 1974 to 1986.[5] He had joined the Labour Party in 1954 and was involved in advertising for the party, including media training for Labour leader Norman Kirk for television appearances.[5]
Belich was the founding president of UNICEF New Zealand during which time New Zealand signed up to the United Nations treaty on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. He was also president of the United Nations Association and in 1979 was chairman of the International Year of the Child, which led to the establishment of the Children's Commission. Belich belonged as well to Rotary, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and the Wellington Club.[5]
Political career
Belich had been approached to stand for mayor in 1977 and 1980, but declined the offers for personal reasons.[7] In 1986 Belich, supported by Wellington Central MP Fran Wilde, was chosen as Labour's candidate for mayor over regional councillor Ken Boyden and Wellington Clean Water Campaign convener John Blincoe.[8] His main opponent in his election bid was incumbent mayor Ian Lawrence. Belich and Lawrence had been friends for nearly twenty years adding a more personal element than normal to an election.[9] The two first met in the late-1960s when Lawrence, as a member of the Jaycees, helped organise a fundraising international ball for a UNICEF, which Belich was then president of. Both of them agreed to a "peace pact" to fight fair in the election.[10]
Highlighting an unpopular council sewage scheme, both the Labour Party and the Wellington Clean Water Campaign ran a hostile ad campaign against Lawrence and the Citizens' Association. Lawrence responded, stressing that the sewage scheme was a collective decision of the council, not a personal decision of his. In the last week of the campaign Labour launched a series of particularly controversial advertisements on Lawrence and the council. One newspaper ad showed a toilet on the beach, linking to the clean water campaign to stop raw sewage discharge at Moa Point. Lawrence was angered by the attack which reneged on an earlier pact between the two to fight fair. Belich professed that he did not intend for any personal offence.[11] The hostility of the sewage ads left Lawrence feeling bitter, but did not blame Belich personally for them.[12]
Belich was elected
Belich retired from the mayoralty in 1992.[1]
Later life and death
In 2008, Belich was made an
Awards and recognition
In 1990, Belich was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[3] In the 1991 New Year Honours, he was appointed as a Knight Bachelor, for services to local government and the community.[15]
In 2019 the Wellington City Council opened a playground in Berhampore named the Jim Belich Playground after him.[16]
Personal life
In 1951, Belich married Valerie Anzulovich, who was also of Croatian descent. They had three children, including the historian, James Belich.[1] His wife, Valerie, Lady Belich, died in 2022.[17] His granddaughter, Camilla Belich, was elected to the New Zealand Parliament on the Labour list in the 2020 election.[18]
References
- ^ The Dominion Post. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ Wade, Amelia (24 May 2020). "Labour Party's latest candidate to contest key Epsom seat". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- ^ ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
- ^ "NZ university graduates 1871–1960: Ba–Be". shadowsoftime. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Macdonald, Nikki (18 September 2015). "Obituary: Sir James Belich - from ad-man to capital clean-up merchant". Stuff. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ Hubbard, Anthony (23 April 1986). "An Adman Set to Market Himself". The Dominion.
- The Evening Post.
- ^ "Labour picks mayoral candidate". The Dominion. 13 February 1986.
- ^ "Mayor, Belich — old friends". The Dominion. 17 February 1986.
- ^ "Pact for clean fight". The Evening Post. 19 August 1986.
- ^ MacDonald, Nikki (19 September 2015). "Sir James Belich - from ad-man to capital clean-up merchant". Stuff. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ Busby, Anita (13 October 1986). "Lawrence bows out with a brave face". The Dominion. p. 5.
- ^ "Past Mayors of Wellington". Wellington City Council. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- The Dominion Post. 1 August 2008. p. 4.
- ^ "No. 52383". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1990. p. 29.
- ^ "Playground locations". Wellington City Council. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- The Dominion Post. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Belich, Camilla. "Maiden Statement". New Zealand Parliament. Hansard. Retrieved 5 December 2020.