Miss Nancy Northcroft

Press, 1 August 1980, Page 4

Miss Nancy Northcroft

Miss Nancy Northcroft, a prominent Christchurch ’town planner, has died. Shej was 67. ] . Miss. Northcroft, Christ-j. church’s first city planner,; was. also the first chief, executive ’ officer, pf , the ’ Christchurch Regional Plan-;, ning Authority.’ / In 1977, . ! she . was. awarded' the 0.8. E, A year later she received ( the . first gold medal from the New Zealand Plan-’ ning Institute, in recognition 1 ,, of “outstanding service and contributions.” The daughter of Sir Erima ! Northcroft, a Supreme Court] judge in Christchurch, she; graduated bachelor of archi-j lecture from Auckland University College in 1940. ] [ In 1942, Miss Northcroft) I went to Britain and gained] an honours diploma in town! planning at the School of;. Planning and Research, Lon-i ’don, before returning to; Zealand in 194/. . I

; ■ ' ■ s'- ■ ■■■■ ■ _ ■ i -She worked as assistant,■ I regional planning officer in -Wellington before being ap- , pointed in 1949 as Christ--• church'city planner. ; Mis's Northcroft was • largely' responsible for the,] formulation of the city’s. < first district, scheme andj traffic planning in Christchurch. ' When the Christchurch; i Regional Planning Authority -was formed in 1954. she be-: came chief executive officer; and chief planner. In 1963, Miss Northcroft |- went into private practice as! a planner with Messrs. ’Davie, Lovell-Smith and [Partners. As a consultant,;; ’she provided planning ser-L I vices' to various South Is-ji [land local authorities and] i private clients throughout} [New Zealand. She retired from the partinership in 1978. During her I professional career, her ex-

pertise was, sought in many; seminars, articles, and in broadcasts. Miss Northcroft applied her qualities to many organisations outside her planning career. For 10 years, she; [was official scorer for the! Riccarton Cricket Club, of which she became a life member, and was widely respected for accuracy and fairness. The Geographical Society, Te Wai Pounamu Maori' Girls’ School, the Federation' of University- Women, ’ ’ Christchurch Soroptomist [ ’Club, and the Town Hall [Promotion executive were i among organisations in [which Miss Northcroft was ’involved. She was a justice of rhe ’peace and a member of a committee of. the Diocese of [Christchurch. Miss Northcroft is suri vived by’ a sister, Mrs J. Upton, of Ngaruawahia. A service will be held at All Saints’ Anglican Church, Sumner, today* at 2 p.m.

Obituarv