9 April 2002 Citation - Doctor of Commerce honoris causa, Peter Herbert Elworthy

Presentation Speech

Madam Chancellor, 15 years ago Lincoln University honoured Sir Peter Herbert Elworthy with the Bledisloe Medal for his outstanding contribution to New Zealand's land-based industries. Today we honour him again, endorsing what we said in 1987 and acknowledging all the subsequent service and achievements of this tireless man.

It's an old adage that if you want something done, give it to a busy person. How true that is in the case of Peter Elworthy. The record shows that in the period since we awarded him the Bledisloe Medal he has taken on 19 new chairmanships, 10 new directorships, five trusteeships, and four patronages.

In relation to the land, his current services are as diverse as Patron of the South Canterbury Conservation Trust, Chair of the Biological Organic Trust at Lincoln University, a director of Stanfield Oaks Ltd, chair of Willows Group Ltd, and chair of the family farming company at Craigmore in South Canterbury.

But he does not confine his activities to terra firma, he is also chairman of a river development and dam company and patron of a flying club.

Peter's connections with Lincoln University go back a long way. He was an Intensive Course student in 1955 and represented Lincoln in inter-university debating.

Peter's contribution to national life has been immense. His remarkable record includes the foundation of the New Zealand Deer Farmers' Association (of which he was inaugural president), the establishment of Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-operative Ltd (of which he was first chairman), the Dominion Presidency of Federated Farmers at the height of the Rogernomics revolution, and leadership roles in the companies responsible for the modernisation of the Port of Timaru and the development of South Canterbury's Opuha Dam.

It's an on-going career well recognised with a knighthood in 1987, a New Zealand Commemoration Medal in 1990 and a Distinguished Fellowship of the Institute of Directors in 2001.

Today as Peter's alma mater now bestows its own highest honour, let's focus on the personal characteristics which have underpinned his service. Three stand out – his leadership, his determination and his pioneering spirit or what we would call today innovativeness.

Madam Chancellor, Peter is a born leader, a leader whose mettle was tested in one of the most turbulent periods of national life in recent times – when New Zealand agriculture was deregulated.

Between 1984-1987 he occupied the hottest seat in the country after the Minister of Finance's. As Dominion President of Federated Farmers he was the voice of New Zealand's most important economic sector at a time when, remarkably and unbelievably, just one word dominated its future – survival!

'Can farming survive?' was a banner headline in a national newspaper of March 1987. And the question was for real! Make no mistake about it.

The struggle for survival gripped farmers, obsessed the industry and drove the Federation's leadership.

Peter himself has described it as "a devastating period in which changes were so shockingly handled by the government that they all but tore the industry apart".

Happily however, by the eve of his retirement from the presidency, he was able to say that despite everything agriculture had "endured".

And not only had agriculture endured but its public voice, Federated Farmers, had become stronger. Adversity had given it new strength, direction and unity. Furthermore it had come of age politically. It was no longer thought of as beholden to any one party. In addition it emerged with a very professional and business-like structure. Peter's period of leadership thus left many beneficial legacies.

Linked to leadership, indeed one of its essential qualities, is determination, and this is another of Peter's great attributes.

Madam Chancellor, in looking for a good example of Peter's determination we can do no better than mention his involvement with the planning, development and construction of the Opuha Dam in South Canterbury.

Peter chaired the dam development company and we know that whilst successful completion of this project gave him immense satisfaction the vicissitudes of the planning process, local politics and the hand of nature provided real tests of determination.

Opened in November 1998, the dam was the first built by a community but constructed as a commercial entity. Because it was a pioneering venture of its type, and because it was a multi-purpose structure – for irrigation, electricity generation, town water supply and recreational use – it was a difficult concept for people to grasp.

In the past irrigation schemes and dams had been built by governments, so as pioneers of a new approach the development company found the initial going hard. Then during construction a flood caused a serious breach in the unfinished dam face with downstream damage to a number of properties. This incident and the subsequent compensation claims – which pushed up costs – were grist to the detractors' mill but setbacks steel the mettle of the determined and the company persisted. Today South Canterbury has a superb asset of major economic and recreational benefit to the district.

Alongside the determination shown by Peter in the Opuha Dam project is a third distinguishing characteristic. His pioneering drive and innovativeness.

The Dam developers found in their chairman a man very much at home with innovation. He was after all a founder of the New Zealand deer farming industry.

In 1994 Peter was honoured with the New Zealand Deer Industry Award jointly with Sir Tim Wallis. They were described as the deer industry's "two most visible knights" – Sir Tim the first to perfect live deer recovery by helicopter and Sir Peter the country's first intensive farmer of deer.

 As Sir Tim acknowledges: "It was through Peter's strength, tenacity, patience and determination that this industry was created. Without him the deer farming industry would not be as successful as it is today."

The establishment and growth of the deer farming industry well illustrates Peter's pioneering drive and innovativeness. He was Founding President of the New Zealand Deer Farmers' Association's and such was the growth of the industry that within 20 years, by 1993, New Zealand was confident enough to hold the first World Deer Congress to advance the industry internationally. Held at Lincoln University, it was a huge success. Madam Chancellor, so far I have mentioned Peter's work in relation to the land and the water.

In the air he is Patron of the Tiger Moth Club of New Zealand and he recently won a trophy for the "perfect loop" no less, at the annual Tiger Moth Rally.

As a "man of the land" Peter's awareness of the environment, understanding of nature and appreciation of conservation issues is strong. For six years he chaired the Queen Elizabeth II Trust and on his family property, Craigmore, there are open space covenants on three areas of conservation importance.

Work with the Biological Organic Trust at Lincoln represents a move by Peter and his wife Fiona to sustainable agriculture and organics.

Peter and Fiona are a good team – the commercial eye and the holistic heart, as one observer has commented. And in making this award to Peter, Lincoln does not shy from acknowledging the "Elworthy partnership" which is clearly the foundation on which Peter's personal achievements and service to New Zealand are based.

A busy man – 19 chairmanships since you were last before us! – would you pause for a moment Sir to accept this University's highest accolade. Madam Chancellor, may I present Peter Herbert Elworthy, Knight Bachelor, for the degree Doctor of Commerce, honoris causa.