Sir James Hay dies at 82

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 1

Sir James Hay dies at 82

Sir James Hay, businessman, philanthropist, social-service worker and civic administrator, died in Christchurch yesterday at the age of 82.

He was bom in Lawrence, Central Otago, and educated at the district high school there. As a boy he entered the drapery trade, and learned from the ground floor the business that was to establish him as a leading retailer. His first executive position in business was as advertising manager of Beath and Company, Ltd, in Christchurch; but his path in life had become established before then by his interest in youth work, his church and war service.

As a young man he became interested in the youth work of the Presbyterian Church and the Young Men’s Christian Association, and during the First World War he went overseas as supervising secretary of the Y.M.C.A. for the Ist New Zealand Expeditionary Force and served in Egypt and France. Senior position After the war he returned to retail business and from Beath’s he moved to J. Ballantyne and Company, Ltd, in a senior position. His will to succeed led to a decision to found' Hay’s, Ltd, and in 1929 the company built its first shop in Gloucester Street Sir James Hay went ahead in the face of criticism that a retail shop north of Cathedral Square could not succeed. Geography did not matter, for Sir Jame’s Hay introduced many new ideas to retailing. Hay’s roof became a children’s attraction at holiday times and whether it was with a menagerie on the roof or a children’s magazine through the post, Hay’s set out to justify its slogan of “The Family Store.” Under Sir James Hay’s guidance the company confounded its "north-of-the-Square” critics, and expanded the Gloucester Street premises, into the biggest shop in the block, bounded by Gloucester, Colombo and Armagh Streets and Oxford Terrace and then moved afield in the South Island. Haywrights, Ltd The name of the founder is now perpetuated in the national retail business of Haywrights, Ltd. Sir James Hay was man-

aging director of Hay’s until October, 1961, when he retired to the easier position of chairman of directors. He retired from the board in 1967, but was given the new title of president, and remained so until his death. His spare time from business was devoted to his church and welfare work for many years; and his early interest in his church and the Y.M.C.A. continued, with presidency of the Christchurch Y.M.C.A. and the national body, presidency of the New Zealand Presbyterian Bible Class Union, membership of the church’s property trustees’ board and session clerk of the Knox Presbyterian church. This work led in part to the award to him of the M.B.E. and later the 0.8. E. Sir James Hay’s local body service began in 1944 when he was elected to the Christchurch City Council. He served on the council for nine years topping the poll at two elections, but was lost to local body work when he was defeated in the contest for the mayoralty. Museum Board During the preparations for the Canterbury centenary in 1950-51 Sir James Hay had several important positions on organising committees. He was the first chairman of the Canterbury Museum Trust Board and was largely responsible for the museum’s being declared the main centennial memorial. Earlier, he was the first chairman of the Association of Friends of the Museum. During the Second World War he was associated with the raising of war loans and was chairman of the Canterbury National Savings Committee. After the war he was chairman of the Christchurch Aid to Britain Committee.

A champion cometist as a young man, Sir James Hay had a lifelong interest in brass bands, something that has been forgotten by many who identify him with a wider field of music. His interest led him to other forms of music, and for 20 years he was on the Christchurch Civic Music Council, of which he was a former chairman, and he also served a term as president of the Royal Christchurch Musical Society. He was patron of

the Christchurch Civic Orchestra Foundation—a position to which he was reelected the night before his death. Service to arts His service to ! the arts was recognised by the award of Canterbury Society of Arts silver medal; and another valued honour was honorary fellowship of the Trinity College, London. He was among the first to rekindle interest in a Town Hall for Christchurch and from .its inception in 1958 was president of Town Hall Promotion, which set out to raise funds for the town hall and to persuade local bodies and others that a town hall was needed. His efforts, were rewarded when a contract was let and he saw work on the site selected after years of argument during which he was not swayed from the main purpose of having a Town Hall, whatever the site. His ability as a fund-raiser was also shown in other fields, notably the Combined Children’s Home Appeal, of which he was chairman for 10 years. With a successful business life behind him and a grown-

up family, Sir James Hay showed his feelings for the less fortunate by the establishment of the J. L. Hay Charitable Trust in 1959. The trust has since distributed more than $lO,OOO. Bamado’s homes Among his other interests were the New Zealand Retailers’ Federation, the Canterbury branch of the Institute of Management (he was president of both), the New Zealand Savings Committee and the New Zealand council of Dr Bamado’s Homes.

He was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 10 years ago. Sir James Hay married Miss D. M. Gunn, who had been in the New Zealand Army Nursing Service overseas, while they were in England at the end of the war. They had two daughters, Mrs J. K. Louisson, of Masterton, and Mi's J. R. Salas, of Wellington, and twin sons, Mr H. G. Hay, who followed his father into business and into City Council work, and Dr D. R. Hay, a heart sugeon. Lady Hay died in 1969. Sir James Hay remarried a year ago, and is survived by his wife and children.