Terry McDavitt

Terry McDavitt was born in Dannevirke in 1948. He was educated in Wellington at St. Patrick's College, later attending Victoria University of Wellington and graduated in 1970 with a Master of Arts degree.{{sfn|Taylor|1998|pp=500}} He was an activist in his youth and organised multiple protests against the Vietnam War and apartheid.{{cite news |last=Naylor |first=Shani |title=Terry McDavitt: ready when duty called |work=The Evening Post |date=11 January 1989 |page=21 }} In 1979 he became head of General Studies at Wellington Polytech, a position he retained until 1987, when he resigned to focus on his political career.{{cite news |last=Busby |first=Anita |title=McDavitt quits job for council |work=The Dominion |date=15 May 1987 }}{{cite news |title=Farewelling Polytech's Problems |work=The Evening Post |date=10 February 1987 }} He is a justice of the peace.{{cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/horowhenua-chronicle/news/horowhenua-justices-of-the-peace-gather-in-levin/QVN36UL7H5BOVDFGAZMIL5A2MQ/ |first=Janine |last=Baalbergen |title=Horowhenua Justices of the Peace gather in Levin |work=Horowhenua Chronicle |date=20 June 2023 |access-date=5 May 2024 }}

McDavitt married Kate Ford in 1970 and had two children; Ruth in 1975 and Joseph in 1978. He and Ford were divorced in 1984. McDavitt married Sue Lee in 1994.{{sfn|Taylor|1998|pp=500}}

McDavitt became politically active in the early 1970s and joined the environmentalist Values Party. in 1974 he stood unsuccessfully for the Wellington City Council on a Values ticket.{{cite news |date=14 October 1974 |title=City Council |work =The Dominion }} In 1975 he was elected as the party's Wellington regional convener, replacing Tony Brunt who stepped down from the role.{{Cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19750714.2.122 |title=Values Party changes |work=The Press |date=14 July 1975 |volume=CXV |issue=33894 |page=14 }} He also served as the General Secretary of the Values Party from 1974 until 1979 when he decided to leave the role.{{sfn|Taylor|1998|pp=500}} The role was no longer paid and he left it for a role as a communications tutor. He stayed on in a voluntary basis with several friends performing necessary duties until the next annual conference.{{Cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19790122.2.24 |title=Values job vacated |work=The Press |date=22 January 1979 |page=2 }} He was in favour of homosexual law reform in New Zealand and listed his name openly in support.{{Cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19850420.2.45.1 |title=We Support Homosexual Law Reform |work=The Press |date=20 April 1985 |page=6 }}

By the 1980s McDavitt had left the Values Party and had joined the Labour Party. He stood again for the City Council in 1983 on a Labour ticket and was elected.{{cite report |last=Dawson |first=P.L. |date=25 October 1983 |title=Declaration of Result of Election |publisher=Wellington City Council }}{{cite news |work =The Evening Post |title=Local Body Polls '83 |date=10 October 1983 }} He transferred to the Lambton Ward in 1986 would remain on the council until 1992 when he decided not to seek re-election.{{sfn|Taylor|1998|pp=500}} In 1988 he was appointed deputy to Mayor Jim Belich after the removal of Helene Ritchie, following a series of feuds with Labour councillors over policy.{{Cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19880415.2.60 |title=Wgtn deputy stripped of offices |work=The Press |date=15 April 1988 |page=6 }} He held that position until 1989 when Labour lost their majority on the council.

In 1989 he was elected to the Wellington Regional Council on a Labour ticket. Wishing to concentrate more on his regional council duties prompted him to give up his role as Labour leader on the council to Sue Driver, who was Labour's nominee for the deputy mayoralty.{{cite news |first=Gavin |last=Evans |work=The Evening Post |title=Sue Driver Labour's choice for deputy mayoralty |date=19 October 1989 }} As Labour no longer had a council majority the deputy role went to David Watt, an independent.{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Moran |work=The Evening Post |title=Former Tawa mayor now city's deputy |date=2 November 1989 }} As a regional councillor he chaired the transport committee, and would serve for 21 years until he was defeated in 2010 standing as an independent.{{cite web |url=http://www.gw.govt.nz/2010-election-results-2/ |title=2010 election results |website=Greater Wellington Regional Council |access-date=29 May 2017}} He was the chair of both the public transport and land transport committees and also served as Deputy Chair of the Regional Council from 2001 to 2007.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |title=New Zealand Who's Who, 1998 edition |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=Alister |year=1998 |location=Auckland |issn=1172-9813 }}

• [http://www.teara.govt.nz/files/34315-atl.jpg Photo of McDavitt (left) as Values Party secretary]

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{{s-bef | before=Helene Ritchie}}

{{s-ttl | title=Deputy Mayor of Wellington|years= 1988–1989}}

{{s-aft|after=David Watt}}

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{{s-ttl | title=Wellington City Councillor for Lambton Ward | years=1986–1992 | alongside = }}

{{s-aft | after= Liz Thomas }}

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Category:1948 births

Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni

Category:Deputy mayors of Wellington

Category:Wellington regional councillors

Category:Wellington City Councillors

Category:Values Party politicians

Category:New Zealand Labour Party politicians

Category:Living people

Category:New Zealand justices of the peace