Harley, the licensee and part-owner of Dunedin Real Estate, has retired from the board of Dunedin Ice Sports after 17 fruitful years.
"I've had enough and its time to give way to new blood on the committee," Harley said yesterday.
"I wanted to pull out when I was on top."
The work for curling and ice sports has taken a lot of Harley's time.
"Even when at home I was thinking about it," Harley said.
"I would call into the rink most days.
"I can relax a bit now and play more bowls on summer nights instead of attending meetings."
The big achievements of Harley and his ice partner, Neil Gamble, were to establish an international ice rink in Dunedin and host the world seniors curling championships.
The hard work began when the Dunedin Curling Club took ownership of the Big Chill ice rink in Kaikorai Valley Road in 1994.
It closed in 2002 and it was then a matter of raising the funds to turn the Dunedin Stadium into an international ice rink.
The $4.5 million Dunedin Ice Stadium was opened in 2006 and an additional $840,000 was raised for the mezzanine viewing floor opened in time for two international events last month - the Third Division Ice Hockey World Championships and the World Seniors Curling Championships.
Visiting teams praised the facility and it has put Dunedin on the international map for ice sports.
"I became emotional when I watched the Christmas Ice Show in the stadium in 2006," Harley said.
"It made me realise what we had achieved."
Harley was also involved on the ice and played for New Zealand at the Pacific Curling Championships from 1991 to 1993 and for the New Zealand seniors in 2003.
He was also coach-manager of New Zealand teams to internationals events from 1993 to 2002 and came back to do the job again in 2006.
He was a national curling selector for 13 years.
The highlight was to get the New Zealand team to the Turin Winter Olympics in 2006.
Harley started curling as a 13-year-old at St Bathans when on holiday from St Kevins College.
He was a talented sportsman in his youth and played senior rugby for Maniototo and for the Otago sub-unions.
His rugby career ended when he broke his leg and he missed the sub-unions tour to Australia in 1967.
He played cricket for Central Otago from 1956 to 1967 and Brabin Shield (under 20) for Otago in 1959.
Harley operated a mixed farm at Matakanui, and during this time also trained horses.
He was a member of the Central Otago Trotting Club committee for 28 years and president for five years.
His career took a drastic change when a cultivator fell on top of him in 1986 and cut and bruised his main artery.
He was in hospital in Dunedin for three months and spent another six weeks at Burwood Hospital in Christchurch.
It meant a change of career.
He shifted to Dunedin, started his real estate business, and became involved with Dunedin curling.
He intends to keep curling.
"I'm competitive and anything I take on I try to win," Harley said.
"I will be the same with my bowls."
• The Harley File
Edwin Harley
Home town: Dunedin
Occupation: Real estate licensee
Sports
Rugby: Otago sub-union representative 1960.
Cricket: Otago Brabin team (under-20) 1959, Central Otago representative 1956-67.
Curling: NZ representative 1991-93 and seniors representative 2003.
Trotting: Driver and trainer.
Administration: Life member Dunedin Curling Club; Dunedin Ice Sports board member, 1993-2009; chairman organising committee for World Seniors Curling Championships in Dunedin; NZ curling manager, coach and selector 1993 to 2006; Central Otago Trotting Club committee 1962-90, president for 5 years.
