Journal of the RNZIH

Obituary Peter Jensen Reid Skellerup 14 January 1918 – 15 May 2006 Caring benefactor He left school in 1934 and joined Woolston Brass Band, says he and city father the family’s Latex Rubber Company was amazed at how readily and The loss of the as an offi ce boy. His task of generously Skellerup responded Skellerup group learning the business from the to a request for band sponsorship. of companies to bottom-up was interrupted by World As Skellerup Woolston, the band corporate raider War 2, in which he served with the dominated national competitions. Ron Brierley, in army, against the Japanese, in the He helped raise half the cost of 1987, saddened Solomon Islands. the Sir Walter Nash Appeal for a Peter Skellerup but Meanwhile, he had married Rita children’s hospital in Vietnam, in the Christchurch Grogan, in 1941. They had four 1970. industrialist was above any children. After she died, in 1985, he bitterness. The family’s Danish ancestry was married Evelyn Rogers, who died in important to Skellerup and he and Skellerup was upset as much for his 1999. Margery researched it thoroughly. workforce, which he treated as his Resuming his progress in the fi rm He served as honorary Danish extended family, as for himself and after the war, Skellerup became a consul for the South Island, and his family. manager with Marathon Rubber and then for New Zealand, from 1964. His multitude of interests kept him a director of the parent company He received a Danish knighthood in busy as the empire he had helped in 1949. He was made a joint 1981 for his services. build was dismantled. He never lost managing director in 1955 and The trusts, boards and committees his courtliness. He continued to deputy chairman in 1977. on which Skellerup served (and on give to Christchurch and its citizens He continued his directorships many of which he held high offi ce) in many ways. of subsidiary companies and led read like a Christchurch directory of Skellerup was the second son a hard-fought battle to establish associations. His interests ranged to assume the top offi ce in the Dominion Salt works in from the arts to horticulture, and to Skellerup Industries, which was Marlborough. His determined the Antarctic, which he visited in established by his father, George. efforts were successful and the 1969 to work on the preservation of He succeeded his brother, Sir works became hailed for their historic sites. Valdemar Skellerup, as executive contribution to the national economy Chief among his interests was chairman in 1982. From then until through import-substitution. local government. He was a the 1987 takeover, he headed the By the time an ailing Sir Valdemar Christchurch city councillor from company and a host of subsidiaries. handed over the reins to his 1958 to 1980 and deputy mayor He was the last family member to younger brother, in 1982, Skellerup for the last six of those years. hold an executive position with the factories at Woolston employed As chairman of the parks and company. 1800 people, mostly in rubber- recreation committee for 15 years, Skellerup died in Christchurch at the related manufacturing. One of the he was the prime mover behind age of 88. fi rst tasks Skellerup set himself was establishment of QEII Park for the establishment of a centralised the 1974 Commonwealth Games His sister, Margery, says he was head offi ce building in the south- and as a facility for eastern a typical boy of the 1920s. As east Christchurch suburb. Christchurch. He was on the younger members of the family, the Lyttelton Harbour Board for 12 two were “great pals” - except when His sister says Skellerup was very years, three of them as chairman, he linked up with other boys in the close to his staff. He knew not and the Canterbury United Council. street to play tricks on her. only their names but those of their He was awarded the CBE in 1979 spouses and children. When he After a childhood of climbing for services to the city. heard of families in diffi culty, he was trees and building huts, Skellerup always there to help. He extended The greatest row to erupt during attended Christchurch Boys’ High this in his funding of the Skellerup Skellerup’s time on the council was School. There his deep feeling for Health Centre in Woolston. the proposal for a road through Christchurch showed in a prize- North Hagley Park, which was winning essay he wrote on the city. His generosity to good causes backed by Mayor Ron Guthrey. As was legend. Former city councillor parks and recreation chairman, Derek Anderson, a member of the 23 New Zealand Garden Journal, 2006, Vol. 9(2) Skellerup fought against the He was a courteous, gentlemanly *Peter Jensen Reid Skellerup, born scheme. He took great satisfaction type, honest and caring by nature. Christchurch, January 14, 1918; from his victory in this battle. Although not given to rowdy died Christchurch, May 15, 2006. Predeceased by fi rst wife Rita and His sister says Skellerup had partying, he enjoyed socialising second wife Evelyn. Survived by “a great warmth of feeling for with business people and made son George, daughters Karen, Alex Christchurch”. He was proud to strong friendships with many. He and Linda, nine grandchildren and have escorted the new Queen also loved travel and maintained four great-grandchildren. Elizabeth II and her husband friendships all over the world. around the city in 1954. Mike Crean Reproduced with permission from an obituary fi rst published in The Press, Christchurch, Saturday, May 20, 2006, D19. Lawrie Metcalf ‘More than just Hebes’ Melanie Kinsey1 We had walked through a hushed Metcalf lives with his wife Lena just both the Adelaide and Melbourne forest of ancient Nothofagus; had out of Nelson city and within sight botanic gardens, before setting eaten our lunch amidst a grove of Mt. Arthur in the north of the sail for the UK. “I wanted to work of spooky Dracophyllum and now South Island. The move to Nelson at Kew Gardens” said Metcalf we were suddenly out in the open (reputedly the sunniest place in an interview late in 2005, “but among stunted alpine hebes and in New Zealand) occurred only once I had seen them, I felt that podocarps. It was a dream come recently after a lifetime spent mostly they were not up to the standard true for this New Zealand native in Christchurch and Invercargill. At of the Christchurch Botanic plantophile. As I struggled to keep an age when most people have well Gardens. So instead I got a job in up with the tall bloke striding ahead and truly retired, Metcalf spends his Sussex at Ingwersens Hardy Plant of me up the track to Mt. Arthur, days tending his rambling garden Nursery where I stayed for about I marvelled how at 78, Lawrie full of mostly New Zealand natives, 12 months.” He then went on to Metcalf had come to be one of running a mail order nursery and work at Hillier Nurseries, arguably New Zealand’s most renowned writing yet another book on some one of the most famous nurseries plantsmen. aspect of New Zealand’s unique in the UK if not the world. After a fl ora. His latest offering released short stint there, he went on to be by Timber Press is “Hebes, A Guide a gardener at Winkfi eld Place in to Species, Hybrids, and Allied Berkshire, where Constance Spry Genera”. This follows on from his and Rosemary Hume were running 2001 “International Register of a Domestic Science School for girls. Hebe Cultivars” and sundry other It was while he was at Winkfi eld books specialising in New Zealand’s Place, that a letter came from the native fl ora. Director of Christchurch Botanic It was in 1928 that Metcalf was born Gardens offering him a job as the in Christchurch. As a schoolboy, Dr Assistant Director. He returned L.W. McCaskill (1900–1985) noted to New Zealand in 1955 to take educator and naturalist encouraged up this position, marrying in 1962 him to take an interest in growing and having three children. Metcalf native New Zealand plants. Metcalf stayed at Christchurch until 1977 received his horticultural training managing a staff of 39, before in Christchurch and then spent moving to Invercargill to take up some time working at Duncan and the position of Director of Parks Davies Nursery in New Plymouth. and Recreation with the Invercargill Fig. 1 Lawrie standing in front of a He then left his native shores City Council. “It was a job with Nothofagus tree at the beginning of our and spent some time working in trek up Mt. Arthur. tremendous scope,” said Metcalf 119 Gap Rd, Riddells Creek, Victoria, Australia 3431; [email protected]. Note: this article is based on an original article fi rst published in the July 2006 Australian Horticulture – Vol. 104, No. 7. There is also an article on Lawrie Metcalf and his new hebe book written by Mike Gowing in the July-August 2006 issue 199 of Weekend Gardener magazine. New Zealand Garden Journal, 2006, Vol. 9(2) 24.

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