I did just under 20 years of front-line policing. I finished up in Canterbury but my first posting was Greymouth. I spent nine months there. I then spent eight years in Westport, which is my home town. Then I came to Canterbury and I was an investigator in the criminal investigation unit which was based at the Selwyn police headquarters. It was in the Burnham Military Camp at that time. I spent about seven years in the police in Selwyn.
How did you find policing in Selwyn compared to Westport?
The people are very similar, they’re country people so I really enjoyed that and relate well with them because that’s my background too.
Are there any stand-out cases you worked on?
A stand-out case for me was actually my last High Court trial. It was a domestic-related incident that happened up the back of Glentunnel.
What kind of work do you do for the Selwyn District Council?
I am the people and safety adviser. It’s kind of like being in the police in that you’re there to help people. I advise them on anything related to health and safety really, there is a team of two of us as the council’s health, safety and well-being team.
A lot of my time is taken up working with community committees, we have about 90 in the district. I’ve been in the position for coming up three years now.
How did you make the pivot from policing to the district council?
One of the reasons I left the police was because my role changed a bit and there were no full-time positions available at that time in the forensic photography sector in town. I had been studying for a diploma in the subject. I was also getting a lot of call-outs in the middle of the night and we had just had our first baby, and so I decided to do something different.
I’d been a cop since I was 19. When I decided to get out of the police I wanted to do something I was interested in so I went to university to study history.
I’ve now got three post-graduate degrees in history. In 2014 the HR manager at the council called me, I used to work with him in the police, because they needed someone on a temporary basis urgently. I started as a facilities officer and was made permanent after 12 months. I was later approached to see if I would take on the health and safety role.
I would say my years at university doing history didn’t really prepare me for the roles I have had in the council but it has helped me in my relationships with the community.
Where did your passion for history start?
My passion is military history and New Zealand social history. They’re my specialist fields. I’ve had two books published on the expeditionary forces for World War 1 and 2. I’ve got two more that are due for publication next year. One in the UK because my masters thesis was on the British Army and Ireland during the Napoleonic Wars so it probably wouldn’t sell as well here.
Currently, I am helping one community committee out at Southbridge, they are creating a new war memorial in a park out there so I am helping them with that, researching all the people out there who did go overseas. We have no official historian at the council so I suppose I am like the de-facto one.
When did you start writing history articles for the Selwyn Times?
It has been about two and a half years now. I got involved during Rolleston’s 150th celebration. They didn’t have a historian for the ceremony so I volunteered. We had a lot of people saying: ‘Oh we haven’t got any history in Selwyn,’ and we got a bit annoyed with that because there is heaps of history. From there we, councillor Jeff Bland and I, decided to try to promote history in Selwyn. The district council really supports me in writing the features as it is a good way to engage with the community
Do you have a favourite historical site in Selwyn?
I like the ones that have some personal experiences. My most recent article (page 4), about a nurse who survived the sinking of a ship during World War 1, I really enjoyed writing. Another one that I did was about the Lakeside Memorial Hall and why it was built. A whole community got together to build a hall and I think that is quite special.
What do you like about Selwyn?
I would have to say the people. They are down to earth, they have a rural perspective and a greater sense of community than what you would find in the city.
I hear you are involved in rugby?
I am co-manager of the Marist Albion colts. It is the under-21 team at the club.
This is my first season managing, my son plays on the team. It has been a bit strange obviously, we have only played one game so far. I also coached the juniors for seven years but I had a break when my boy went to high school.
Could you tell me a little bit about your family?
I have two teenage children, a boy and a girl. My wife Susanne is the assistant principal at Our Lady of Victories School in Sockburn.
