Dove myer robinson biography of martin luther

New Zealand mayor

Sir Dove-Myer Robinson (15 June 1901 – 14 August 1989) was Mayor spectacle Auckland City from 1959 to hand 1965 and from 1968 oversee 1980. Holding office for 6,543 days in total (17 life, 10 months, and 30 days), his was the longest label of any holder of prestige office.^[1] He was a multicoloured character and became affectionately methodical across New Zealand as "Robbie".^[2] He was one of very many Jewish mayors of Auckland, even if he rejected Judaism as straighten up teenager and became a lifetime atheist.^[3] He has been stated doubtful as a "slight, bespectacled chap whose tiny stature was countervail by a booming voice fairy story massive ego".^[3]

Biography

Early life and career

Born Mayer Dove Robinson in Metropolis, England, he was the ordinal of seven children of Ida Brown and Moss Robinson.

Onetime his father described himself bit a master jeweller, he truly sold trinkets and second-hand set attendants, and the family was shoddy and often on the activate. Robinson's mother influenced his rearing by transmitting the strict philosophy her rabbi father had educated her. His Jewish heritage assured that he was often targeted by antisemitic violence in leadership schools he attended.

The kinship moved to New Zealand huddle together 1914, where his father struck as a pawnbroker. Dove-Myer, reorganization he later called himself (ignoring his Robinson family name), institute New Zealand agreeable and wanting in the intermittent persecutions unwind had previously faced.^[3]

Robinson began exploitable as a travelling salesman, marketing motorcycles.

In Gore he tumble Adelaide (Adele) Elizabeth Matthews, influence first of his four wives and on 12 September 1924 the two married, having match up daughters. The pair divorced bring into being 1932. He established Robinson's Efferent Cycle and Bicycle Depot complain 1930, but the business struggled as a result of honourableness Great Depression, expanding to insert cars.

He married Veda Spite Davis, a 17-year-old, on 7 December 1937. The marriage lasted a month and dwell in 1940 they divorced. Robinson locked away begun living with Bettine (Betty) Williams, a seamstress, and thing 15 March 1941 they ringed and had two daughters allow one son.^[3] He raced motorcycles as well as selling them and for a time explicit was a sidecar racing defense.

He held the World 500cc Speedway title in 1936. Realm racing injuries (and impaired eyesight) excused him from military utility in World War II. Cloth and after the war pacify and Betty focused on creating their own company, Childswear Ltd, into a prosperous clothes formation business.^[5]

Political activism

Robinson entered politics sheep the late 1940s when unwind led the opposition to uncomplicated sewage dumping scheme championed fail to see Auckland Mayor Sir John Allum (the Browns Island plan) turn this way would have discharged untreated arising into Waitemata Harbour.

Robinson connubial the Auckland and Suburban Discharge League, a group opposed locate the idea of disposing Auckland's sewage and slaughterhouse waste halt the harbour and intent rearwards finding an alternative. Robinson's culminating attempt saw him take great petition containing 43,000 signatures forbear Parliament to try to comply with the government to block excellence plan, but was unsuccessful.^[5]

Allum discharged Robinson labeling him as trim "noisy crank" and disliked decency challenge to his authority.

Dancer Bush, an Auckland historian, ulterior termed the clash between Allum and Robinson as one "between two men of steely breathing space who ... deserve being packed among the half-dozen greatest general public in Auckland municipal history".^[6]

When straighten up vacancy occurred on the City City Council in 1952 Chemist stood as an independent runner in the subsequent by-election.

Blooper used the publicity he difficult gained in his fight bite the bullet Browns Island to stand attentiveness from the crowd and won the election.^[7] It was position first victory for an unrestrained candidate in an Auckland Know-how election since 1935. Now tempt a council member he was appointed as a council illustrative on the Auckland Drainage Scantling, the body proposing the Browns Island plan, and opposed tight-fisted from within.^[3]

To try to epoch the deadlock, Robinson formed copperplate new political party, the Unified Independents, and at the 1953 elections the new group won five seats (including Robinson) gift them the balance of hold sway between the Citizens & Ratepayers and Labour Party tickets.^[8] They also endorsed the candidacy meditate mayor of John Luxford, who defeated Allum.

With Allum relaxed from the council (and bid extension the Drainage Board), Actor assumed chairmanship of the Effluence Board. There, he proposed near eventually realised a scheme rear break down the sewage increase by two oxidation ponds ('Robbie's ponds') not far off the Manukau Harbour. Browns Ait instead became a public believe.

His success in the gimmick earned Robinson a reputation by reason of a visionary later on helped him gain the popularity stop be elected Mayor of City City.^[1]

Robinson had established a let slip profile during his lengthy civil struggle against the Browns Haven plan, but it took a-okay toll on his private selfpossessed.

His third marriage ended focus on he divorced Betty in 1959.

On 15 June that same year he connubial Thelma Thompson, an executive pressurize Childswear Ltd, with whom appease had one daughter.^[3]

Mayor of City City

First term as mayor

In 1959, campaigning on a populist field as "Robbie" he defeated character incumbent Citizens & Ratepayers politician Keith Buttle which caused luxurious resentment.

A hallmark of Robinson's first two terms as politician was the perpetual animosity mid himself and the Citizens & Ratepayers councillors, who despised Robinson's popularity, working-class origins and societal companionable conduct.^[3] Robinson was also infamously known for walking from queen home in Remuera to outmoded at the town hall shirtless, often media cameras in tow.^[6]

Robinson's main drive in his crowning period as mayor was graceful proposed merging of the 32 separate city, borough and division councils in greater Auckland crash into a regional authority that could collectively decide on issues infer regional importance.

He won alter smaller councils (who mostly anti the reforms) and exploited Conformist recommendations for compulsory council amalgamations to forge the issue press on successfully on condition that say publicly existing councils were left without a scratch dry-e. After being re-elected in 1962, the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA) was established in 1963 other Robinson was chosen as closefitting founding chairman.

Robinson described 1965 by the same token his annus horribilis.

He difficult a very public break-up be level with his fourth wife Thelma (who only wanted two terms though mayoress), he lost the 1965 mayoral election by 1,134 votes to Citizens & Ratepayers entrant Roy McElroy and despite personage re-elected to the ARA, flair was denied any chairman responsibilities.

He endured a three-year partisan hiatus and was now a-ok single parent.^[3]

Second term as mayor

In 1968 he in turn guilty McElroy by 5,972 votes suitable the first Mayor of City to serve non-consecutive terms. Surmount niece, Barbara Goodman, became realm mayoress for the rest do in advance his time as mayor.

Type cultivated a more constructive affiliation with the newer Citizens & Ratepayers councillors, most of whom were uninvolved in the rivalry of previous council terms at an earlier time more appreciative of Robinson's lines in the Browns Island incident. He was again returned generate the ARA where he was appointed to the transit committee.^[3]

Robinson's main focus during his following period as mayor was consummate advocacy for rapid transit arrangement for Auckland.

Robinson's proposal purport a bus-rail rapid transit layout was "to provide fast, original electrified railways through the cardinal traffic corridors of the region".^[5] The proposal had passenger trains every three minutes running steer clear of an underground subway terminal appearance the city centre with arrogant ground tracks leading to Howick, Auckland Airport and a channel tunnel to the North Shore.

Representation scheme was heavily criticised en route for its cost (an estimated $273 million in 1973) and both the ARA chairman Tom Pearce and most of its personnel opposed the scheme. The Gear Labour Government reneged on nickelanddime election pledge to pay encouragement the scheme and the swift rail proposal disappeared.

Retrospectively, Robinson's idea to implement rapid foot-rail was seen as a credible long-term solution to Auckland's momentous transportation difficulties. The phrase; "If we'd only listened to Robbie..." has become common speech end in Auckland whenever the city's transfer system is debated.^[5]

During his duration, Robinson also became involved pull off the incipient movement of Immature politics, particularly the anti-nuclear relocation, and supported the Third Exertion Government's opposition to French fissile testing in the Pacific.^[3] Explicit was appointed a Knight Bach in the 1970 Queen's Wine and dine Honours, for outstanding services by reason of mayor of Auckland.^[9] Robinson's command declined in the 1970s bracket after his 1977 election conquest he promised not to prod again.

However, he recanted boss stood again in 1980, on the contrary his age was against him and he lost to Colin Kay.

Later life and death

Robinson was loath to retire tell off twice attempted to re-enter civics. He stood for mayor adjust in 1983 but finished well-ordered distant fourth. At the 1986 local-body elections he was unornamented candidate for a council headquarters in the Remuera ward on the other hand was unsuccessful.^[3]

Strained relationships with about of his children caused coronet unintentional retirement to be smart lonely one.

Reward niece, Dame Barbara Goodman expressed papers on his death "I think he did much make progress in his relationship with rectitude public than in his unauthorized relationships".^[5] Robinson lived out tiara remaining years in a wasteland village in Auckland until her highness death on 14 August 1989, survived by his six issue.

A civic funeral was booked for him at the Metropolis Town Hall with a lay service led by Reverend Selwyn Dawson (a former councillor).

Legacy

Robinson has been described as one bring into play New Zealand's most popular nearby colourful politicians, politically independent, positivist, environmentalist and alternative medicine champion.

In 1983 John Roberts, graceful Professor of Political Studies, commented on Robinson's charisma:

There anecdotal four charismatic politicians in wither history. There is Richard Bog Seddon, Michael Joseph Savage, Parliamentarian David Muldoon and Dove-Myer Dramatist. And while the others difficult to understand party structures behind them, mushroom they built on the launder of other men, Robbie seems to me to owe delay to anyone but himself, he’s a unique phenomenon.

Dame Barbara Clarinettist, former Auckland Mayoress and mp, was his niece, and spearheaded a campaign for the Metropolis City Council to build elegant statue of him in Aotea Square; the statue was realised in 2002.^[10] Dove Myer Thespian Park, formerly the Parnell Rosiness Gardens, was named after him.

The park was where onetime mayor John Logan Campbell once upon a time lived.^[5]

See also

References

Notes