The Press SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1971. Sir James Hay

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 18

The Press SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1971. Sir James Hay

The death of Sir James Hay in Christchurch yesterday at the age of 82 has left the city, and, indeed, the whole country, the poorer. Ever since he first came to Christchurch from Central Otago 61 years ago his enthusiasm, his organising ability, and his wisdom have influenced profoundly the progress of this growing city and have contributed greatly to whatever it can boast today of a corporate civic spirit.

Among the most enduring fruits of his work must be the new town hall and civic centre now taking shape on the bank of the Avon River. A civic centre worthy of the city he loved was among his most cherished ambitions. All his many interests proclaimed the need for it—his interest in music, and especially in the Royal Christchurch Musical Society: his concern for the welfare of young people in general, and in particular for school choirs and orchestras lacking a suitable hall for public performances: his long experience in public affairs and administration reminding him of the imperative need for a, focal-point of civic aspirations and endeavour. Without his vigorous promotional efforts the project could hardly have been got under way so soon or launched on such a sound financial footing.

Sir James Hay’s interest in the welfare of young people was sharpened by his experiences during World War I when, as supervising secretary of the Y.M.C.A. with the New Zealand division overseas for four years, he gained an intimate knowledge of the problems of young men separated from their homes and families. His wartime work earned him the Order of the British Empire. It led him—as did his deeply-held religious belief—to devote much of his time to organisations dedicated to helping young people. The Y.M.C.A., the Presbyterian Bible Class Union, children’s homes, and music groups are all the stronger for his efforts.

The respect and affection in which Sir James Hay was held in the community automatically ensured the success of the many fund-raising projects he espoused for the benefit of worthy causes. Having helped to ensure that the expansion of the Canterbury Museum would be the main project for the provincial centennial in 1950, he turned his energies to securing the financial success of the memorial. During World War II he had shown the same energy while chairman of the Christchurch National Savings Committee; in the immediate postwar years the Christchurch Aid to Britain Committee and the Canterbury Immigration Association, which sought to help the growing number of new migrants, claimed his attention at a time when his business activities and work as a City Councillor might have been thought sufficient labours for any man.

When Sir James Hay received his knighthood in June, 1961, it was widely recognised as a fitting tribute to a man whose services to his city and country had spanned almost 50 years and covered a multitude of fields. When he retired later that year from the managing directorship of Hay’s, Ltd, the flourishing business he had founded in the depths of the Great Depression, he had surely earned a well-earned rest. But his advice and help continued to be at the disposal of any worth-while civic project Christchurch has been fortunate to number Sir James Hay among its citizens.