Neville Pickering

Neville Pickering MBE JP
41st Mayor of Christchurch
In office 1971–1974
Preceded by	Ron Guthrey
Succeeded by	Hamish Hay
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for St Albans
In office 30 November 1957 – 31 October 1960
Preceded by	Jack Watts
Succeeded by	Bert Walker
Personal details
Born	18 November 1923
Died	25 June 1988 (aged 64)
Resting place	Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch
Nationality	New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Alexia Pickering

Neville George Pickering, MBE (18 November 1923 – 25 June 1988), was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Early life

Pickering was born in 1923.^[1] He married Alexia Pickering, who would become a notable disability advocate. They adopted three children before she had another child of her own.^[2]

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1957–1960	32nd	St Albans		Labour

In the 1949 and 1951 elections, Pickering stood in the Awarua electorate, but lost against the incumbent, George Richard Herron of the National Party. In the 1954 election, he lost against Alfred James Davey in the Waimate electorate. Pickering won the 1957 election in the St Albans electorate in 1957, one of six new Labour MPs.^[3] He was defeated in the 1960 election by Bert Walker.^[4]

In 1962, Pickering was elected onto Christchurch City Council.^[5] He served for nine years as a councillor before he was elected Mayor of Christchurch from 1971 to 1974, when he was defeated by Hamish Hay.^[6] In 1972, Pickering boycotted an Anzac Day wreath-laying at Cathedral Square, protesting against the Returned Services' Association's restrictions on who could lay wreaths.^[7]

Having lost the mayoralty, his wife insisted on moving back to Wellington.^[2] In the 1978 election, he stood in the Wellington Central electorate but lost against Ken Comber.^[8]

Awards and commemoration

In the 1985 New Year Honours, PIckering was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to local government.^[9] Pickering Courts, a council housing project in St Albans designed for the elderly containing 25 units built in 1978 was named in his honour.^[1] Pickering died on 25 June 1988 and is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Christchurch.^[10] His wife, who has since remarried, is still alive.^[2][11]

References

1. Harper, Margaret (May 2015). "Christchurch Place Names" (PDF). Christchurch: Christchurch City Libraries. p. 93. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
2. "A Life Most Ordinary". Rise (Ministry of Social Development) (3): 6–8. July 2008. ISSN 1178-4717.
3. Freer, Warren (2004). A lifetime in politics. Victoria University Press. p. 113. ISBN 0864734786.
4. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 227. OCLC 154283103.
5. "Councillors of the City of Christchurch". Christchurch: Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
6. "Former Christchurch mayor dies". The New Zealand Herald. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
7. "Fists fly as youths try to lay wreaths". The Sydney Morning Herald (Google). 26 April 1972. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
8. Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. p. ?. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
9. London Gazette (supplement), No. 49970, 28 December 1984. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
10. "Result Detail". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
11. Manson, Bess (21 March 2015). "Alexa Pickering - A formidable advocate for New Zealanders with disabilities". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 12 June 2015.