Sir Tim Shadbolt
Mayor of Invercargill
Sir Tim Shadbolt has become a New Zealand icon, known for his wide-mouthed smile, sense of humour and standing up for a wide range of social causes.
Tim was born in Auckland and attended Rutherford High School. Later he studied at Auckland University where he majored in History. It was there that he started his student activism and became the editor of Craccum magazine. After leaving university, he started his own concrete contracting business, managed the family orchard and worked for community and political causes.
Tim served as Mayor of Invercargill from 1993 to 1995. In 1998 he was re-elected and is now in his seventh term as Mayor of Invercargill (currently the longest-serving mayor in the country). He has written on a wide range of subjects – from concrete to film making, as well as two autobiographical books.
He was knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours List as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.