Obituary: Robert Lorimer

Robert Lorimer, OBE. Former general manager, Auckland Harbour Board. Died aged 83.

When Bob Lorimer retired in 1985 he had been associated with the Auckland Harbour Board for 46 years and its general manager for 19.

He was the board's administrative kingpin, a man of considerable influence on the Auckland waterfront and further afield.

In his retirement he continued to have major roles, not least as director of the 1990 Commonwealth Games Ltd, co-ordinating the Auckland event.

But his major contribution was getting the Port of Auckland well established in the new container trade in the early 1970s following overseas study trips.

Those were days when others like the Northland Harbour Board under its lawyer chairman, Ralph Trimmer, were energetically advocating Marsden Pt as the major container port for New Zealand.

And in 1975 he fought the idea that Tauranga might be a container port for the Japan trade, losing much revenue for Auckland just when it was further developing its Fergusson Container Terminal - now called Axis Fergusson.

Lorimer had persuaded the Auckland Harbour Board, whose membership once included elected members from Waikato as well as Auckland, that Fergusson Wharf at the eastern end of the downtown wharves should be developed as a container facility rather than a conventional cargo wharf.

Some 13,000 containers went across the wharf in 1971 compared with 150,000 in 1994 - itself a small number compared to present operations and today's much larger containers.

Bob Lorimer joined the Auckland Harbour Board as an office junior straight out of Takapuna Grammar in 1938. He left in 1941, returning after Navy war service in 1947.

The waterfront was a volatile industrial scene. He remembered the 1951 waterfront dispute as an extremely uncomfortable period.

Industrial relations took up a large part of his workload. At times he publicly lashed out at the waterside unions, but seemed to acquire a reasonable rapport with union executives and negotiators. They in turn, Lorimer said, described his style as "amiably aggressive".

Among other port projects Bob Lorimer initiated were the Princes Wharf passenger terminal, the Bledisloe west heavy cargo wharf and the $14 million headquarters on a prime downtown site on Princes Wharf.

The latter was almost complete by his 1985 retirement, although it was regarded by some as a case of the board building something of a monument to itself. In the event the new Ports of Auckland entity bought the disappearing board's land and assets in 1988.

Robert Lorimer observed 32 years ago that New Zealand urgently needed to streamline and integrate its public transport. He had influence on many boards involving local and international maritime, transport, business and community activities.

More recently he injected his energies into the development and operation of the North Shore Hospice and was instrumental in forming Hospices of Auckland, a body involving the seven hospices in the region collectively fundraising and offering extended education to nursing staff.

He is survived by his wife Nancy, children Elizabeth and John and grandchildren.