Former Auckland Mayor and Governor-General Dame Cath Tizard. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Former Auckland Mayor and Governor-General Dame Cath Tizard. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Dame Cath Tizard died on Sunday aged 90. Friend Dame Rosie Horton pays tribute to our first female mayor and first female Governor General.
I got to know Dame Cath Tizard because of the conversation between two Dames – Cath Tizard and Kiri Te Kanawa. It would have been around1983 when Cath became Mayor of Auckland. She promised Kiri a venue that she would be proud to sing in and that was the Aotea Centre.
Soon after that I got a phone call from Dame Cath to come in and have a cup of tea, she had a project for me. At the time I was a comparative novice in the fundraising area.
Planning for the Aotea Centre was underway and Cath was smart and understood her city.
She knew that she needed to engage the hearts and minds of all of Auckland, including business and every Aucklander. To do that they needed to be able to have an investment in the project.
Dame Rosie Horton at her home in Remuera, Auckland in 2017. Photo / Dean Purcell
From that time on, Cath Tizard was a mentor to me. Her approach to life and her focus on overcoming any challenges was an inspiration.
She asked me to create the Aotea Centre Women's Committee to raise funds for the Aotea Centre and get the people behind it - working alongside Sir Lewis Ross, who was heading up the business fundraising committee.
We went on to raise millions by selling naming rights on everything from the seats in the venues to the loos.
From the moment I met her Cath had my admiration, with her natural warmth and empathy and her inclusion of everyone she came in contact with. She was infinitely interested and approachable.
She was never afraid of the still-entrenched male domination of the bodies ruling the city. She took them all on as a strong woman and created change and equality wherever she could. She was not afraid of confrontation.
I remember an incident at the roof-raising of the Aotea Centre. The workers went on strike. Cath went out and looked them straight in the eye. She told them she understood where they were coming from but the day was bigger than that. She asked them to think about what they could tell their children and grandchildren about their part of this important city project. They came around, cheered her and the roof went up and the beers came out.
There was always a strong feminine side to Cath. She was a handsome woman who understood the importance of presenting well and respecting those she was meeting and working with. So, it came as no surprise to me to visit her office one day and find racks of clothes. She had many engagements that day and would change a number of times to suit the circumstances.
It was that thoughtful human touch that made Cath a standout Mayor, Governor General, woman and much-loved mother, grandmother and friend.
• Dame Rosie Horton DNZM QSO QSM is a philanthropist and founder and now mentor of many New Zealand charities. She worked for seven years as Chair of the Aotea Centre Womens Fundraising Committee
