Bill Hammond, renowned New Zealand artist, dies aged 74 Eleanor de Jong
Renowned New Zealand artist Bill Hammond has died, prompting an outpouring of grief and aroha from Kiwis. He was 74.
Hammond was born in Christchurch in 1947 and studied at the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts. He later gained recognition for cityscapes incorporating elements of film noir, pop culture and comic book references. The Christchurch Art Gallery described his work at a 2007 exhibition as “awash with visual sampling, splicing and mixing”.
Before becoming a full-time artist in the 1980s, Hammond worked as a wooden toy maker, in a sign factory, and as a jewellery designer.
PC Webb and Sidney George Holland/Alexander Turnbull Library
Elizabeth McCombs was the first woman to be an elected member of New Zealand s parliament in 1933.
When strong-minded Elizabeth McCombs was elected to her late husband’s post as Lyttleton MP in 1933, she made history. But almost 90 years later, the strides she made for women in politics remain unsung among many, and the progress she sparked has been slow. Brittney Deguara writes. “Gap in ranks hard to fill,” were the words that adorned politician Elizabeth McCombs’ obituary in the
Manawatū Times in 1935. Less than two years’ prior, McCombs made headlines for her history-making appointment as the new MP for Lyttelton. A widow and mother-of-two had become Aotearoa’s first female MP.
He variously held the agriculture, primary industries, biosecurity, and forestry portfolios, and was Speaker of the House from 2013 to 2017. Upon learning he was to be made a knight, Carter said his reaction was “absolute delight, [because] it recognises the role of the speaker in New Zealand’s democracy”. “I want to thank all of my fellow parliamentarians at the time . the speaker needs to represent all parliamentarians, rather than the party they’re from. “Getting this honour from the party who were in opposition at the time means I earned their respect.” As of Monday he had not told his family he would become Sir David Carter, but said he would let them know on Wednesday night, and they would all celebrate together with a special dinner at his bach in the Marlborough Sounds.