The Daily Post Obituary - Neil Gower

By MIKE MATHER in Rotorua
Rotorua's "Grandaddy of graphic design" Neil Gower was a man of many vocations and talents including signwriter, sculptor and advertising manager, as well as being one of the district's most well-known identities.

However, in the tradition of all great artists, he may well end up being best remembered by his works.

Those who grew up in, or even visited Rotorua during the 1960s or 70s can't help but have encountered his handiwork in Kuirau Park, Whakarewarewa or even on the streets and roads around the city.

Among his more iconic creations were the Bay Savings Bank mascot Prospurr the Tiger, the sculpture of Tutanekai and Hinemoa that graced the John Courts department store and many of the colourful fun figures that populated Kuirau Park and other parts of Rotorua.

Born in Auckland in 1939, Neil was raised in Rotorua and at 15-years-old, left school to begin an apprenticeship with Conning Signs, a local signwriting company. Conning Signs had many clients and Neil was responsible for IGA and Four Square's signs and spent many work hours in the late 1950s repainting these stores throughout the Bay of Plenty.

In 1962 he left for Australia and worked for Altheise & Gierger, one of the largest signwriting companies in Sydney. After eight months he decided to return to Rotorua to start his own signwriting company, Display Art.

In partnership with Nelson Tomlinson and, later, Mike Molloy, Neil became a force in the region's sign-making industry.

Neil eventually sold Display Art to his fellow directors in 1970 and went on to establish Braynart Group, a publishing company with commercial artist Fredd Briggs and Vern Whitehead, an advertising manager with The Daily Post.

Among that company's many projects was Autodeal, a weekly publication for the motor trade that was printed in three separate editions covering the country. Through that, Neil picked up a lucrative contracts designing logos for the Motor Vehicle Dealers' Institute, Datsun Cars, Lion Breweries, Ansett Airlines and the Tourist Hotel Corporation.

In the early 1980s Braynart - which by this time had expanded to three offices and 42 staff - decided to shift to Auckland and Neil elected to stay behind in Rotorua, keeping with him the Tourist Hotel Corporation account.

Under his new company Neil Gower & Associates, he picked up many new clients including Lakeland Ford, for whom he also worked as a marketing consultant.

In 1990 Neil suffered a debilitating stroke.

However, far from putting him out of work permanently, this event saw him pour his energies into a more personal project, his wife Maria's business Briggs Florist, including designing the business's logos, corporate identity and a marketing manual.

Neil's friend and former work colleague Eddie Kohi remembers him as a man who loved the finer things in life.

"He worked hard and he played hard. He loved his food and wine and he was a regular at The Vic Bar on Pukuatua St.

"He was a brilliant ideas man and the fact he had so many of his ex employees turn up to his funeral is testament to how well he was respected ... Many of his apprentices have gone on to start their own firms. You could say he was the grandaddy of graphic design in Rotorua."

Neil died at his Rotorua home on Wednesday, May 4, and his funeral was held at Gray's Funeral Home on Monday, May 9. He is survived by his wife Maria and daughter Nardia.