Adrienne Stewart

Dame Ellen Adrienne Stewart, Lady Stewart DNZM QSM (née Peake, born 1936) is a major patron of the arts in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Life and career

Ellen Adrienne Peake was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1936.[1][2]

She moved to New Zealand aged 19 and first worked in Wellington and Auckland.[3] In 1958, at age 22, she started working for PDL as personal secretary to Bob Stewart, who had purchased the firm the previous year.[2]

Stewart divorced his first wife and in 1970, Ellen Adrienne Cansdale (who had by then been married before) married Bob Stewart and took on his surname.[1] The Stewarts developed PDL into one of New Zealand's best known companies, and they became major exporters. Adrienne Stewart became deeply involved in the arts sector, where she is a "patron, supporter, board member and philanthropist".[2]

Awards and honours

In the 1979 New Year Honours, her husband was appointed Knight Bachelor, and she was thus styled Adrienne, Lady Stewart.[4] In the 1995 Birthday Honours, Stewart was awarded a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service (QSM).[5] In the 2006 New Year Honours, she was appointed an Officer of The New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) "for services to the community".[6] In 2011, she was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters (Litt.D.) by the University of Canterbury.[3] In the 2015 New Year Honours, she was appointed Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DNZM) "for services to the arts and business".[7]

Family

The Stewarts had two children; Mark James Stewart and Todd Huntly Stewart.[1] Her husband died in 2007.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Sir Robertson Huntly Stewart 1913–2007". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Wright, Michael (31 December 2014). "A powerful force for arts by any name". The Press. p. A3. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 Lee, Francesca (15 December 2011). "Varsity acclaims women's success". The Press. p. A7.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 47725. p. 39. 30 December 1978. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 54067. p. 35. 16 June 1995. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "The New Year Honours 2006". New Zealand Gazette (2). 13 January 2006. p. 57.
  7. ↑ Cabinet Office, Honours Unit. "New Year Honours List 2015". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
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