Source: Radio New Zealand
Sir Tim Shadbolt’s casket at his funeral. Katie Todd
Sir Tim Shadbolt has been remembered at a funeral service at Invercargill’s Civic Theatre.
During the service, Sir Tim was recognised as a man who always chose to see the best in every situation and the person in every person.
Pastor Graeme Pope thanked mourners who had come from near and far to remember and celebrate him at the service.
He said Sir Tim was very humble and very generous with his time, attention and love, and he cared deeply for Invercargill.
Sir Tim’s youngest son Declan Lawton-Dutt said his dad ensured he made time for him.
Sir Tim was known as the protester, the concreter and the mayor, but he wanted to talk about his dad, he said.
He thanked his dad for being able to compose himself for hide and seek after long council meetings.
His dad wanted to be a good father and a good partner, and he was, Lawton-Dutt said.
Rodney Shadbolt, Sir Tim’s brother, said Sir Tim cared for him with good humour and love.
It was hard to take yourself too seriously with Sir Tim as your brother, he said.
He finished his speech by quoting Shakespeare.
“Now cracks a noble heart. Good night my sweet brother. A flight of angels sings you to your rest”.
The partner of Sir Tim said she was blown away by the public outpouring of love and grief in the wake of his death.
Asha Dutt told mourners that he shared his time with everyone, showing humanity and kindness, and that “everyone has a story of Tim”.
Dutt also hit out at the Invercargill City Council over his tumultuous final term.
Dutt said Sir Tim faced extreme stress with a total lack of support from other councillors during the term.
Dutt believed the council of 2019 had blood on their hands, and she asked certain councillors not to attend the funeral.
Sir Tim Shadbolt’s casket at his funeral. Katie Todd
Another who paid their respects was Māori activist and artist Tame Iti.
Iti thanked Sir Tim for his many years championing Māori issues including the Bastion Point occupation.
“Tim did not just attend protests. He was the protest,” he said.
Former mayor of Hamilton and part of “Tim’s Team”, Margaret Evans, said her friend Sir Tim loved Invercargill.
He promised to put Invercargill on that map and he did it, she said.
“Today, we have come to bury Caesar,” Evans said.
Earlier, mourners queued under umbrellas to pay their respects to Sir Tim.
The 78-year-old former mayor of Waitematā and Invercargill died last week.
The service was livestreamed on the Invercargill City Council’s website.
An RNZ reporter at the service said plenty of people lined up outside the theatre before the doors opened at 1pm.
People gather to pay their respects to Tim Shadbolt. Katie Todd
Among those waiting in line was Tim McPherson, who remembered running into Sir Tim at a pop-up ice rink.
“His son was skating and I went and had a go, and he saw this other old geezer having a go so he got his ice skates on and got out there and gave a credible performance,” he said.
“He wasn’t afraid to make a fool of himself.”
It was a great day to celebrate Sir Tim’s life, saying he made such an impression on Invercargill and led the revitalisation of a dying city.
McPherson was the dairy chairman at Federated Farmers when there was a promotion to attract North Island farmers down south.
“Tim always felt that he’d come down as part of the dairy boom,” he said.
Southlander Murray Warhurst remembered Sir Tim fondly, saying he had often met him at Anzac Day services, mostly at marches in Bluff.
“If you made it down there, well you’re alright. It’s one of the longest marches from the RSA to the Cenotaph,” he said.
He had changed his opinion about Sir Tim’s views on the Vietnam War, saying it was not about the armed forces, but about freedom of speech.
He was waiting in line to pay his respects for what Sir Tim had done for Invercargill, Southland and New Zealand as a whole, Warhurst said.
Supplied/LDR – ODT/Stephen Jaquiery
Tributes have been flowing in for Sir Tim since his death, describing him as a colourful and charismatic character who championed local politics and his city.
He was made a Knight Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List for his services to local government and the community.
After the service, the funeral procession left for the Invercargill Airport – home to the Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal, via Tay Street and Clyde Street, before making its way to Eastern Cemetery for a private interment.
Sir Tim first came into the national spotlight as a student activist in the 1960s, drawing attention to issues including apartheid and the Vietnam War.
He donned the mayoral chains for the first time in Waitematā in 1983, holding them for six years.
Mayor Shadbolt stands in front of his portrait in November, a piece that is titled Seriously. Stephen Jaquiery / ODT
He tried his luck again in 1992, standing for mayor in Auckland, Waitākere and Dunedin.
While he was unsuccessful in those races, he breezed into the top job the following year during a by-election in Invercargill.
He also dabbled in national politics, becoming the New Zealand First candidate for the Selwyn by-election in 1994 – less than a day after joining the party.
Sir Tim served in Invercargill until 1995, but was re-elected in 1998 and held onto the mayoral chains until an unsuccessful tilt in 2022.
Tim Shadbolt with a group of protesters outside the Auckland Town Hall in 1973 Te Ara / Public Domain
With the city in decline, he championed the Zero Fees scheme at the Southland Institute of Technology, in a bid to attract more to the south and keep more young people in the region.
Major buildings including Stadium Southland were built during his term, and others including the Civic Theatre were refurbished.
On the screen, he competed on Dancing with the Stars, broke the world record for the longest television interview – just over 26 hours – and made cameo appearances in the 2017 remake of Goodbye Pork Pie and The World’s Fastest Indian.
He became known as the man who put Invercargill on the map, with Invercargill Airport officially naming the Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal last year to mark his legacy.
In a statement announcing his passing, his partner Asha Dutt said they lost the cornerstone of their family and the man who devoted himself to promoting Invercargill for almost 30 years.
“Tim was a kind-hearted man who cared deeply about the people around him. He was a champion for the underdog and an active political campaigner from his student days of anti-war protest, his activism for Māori rights, and his fight to keep the Southern Institute of Technology and Zero Fees autonomous.
“Tim will be remembered with gratitude, respect, and affection for his commitment to the south and his passion for life.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand