Obituary: Former Waitakere Mayor Assid Corban

Assid Corban, at the time he was elected to Henderson-Massey Local Board in 2010. Photo / File

Former Waitakere Mayor and prominent local body politician for Henderson, Assid Corban passed away at the weekend aged 93.

Corban became a Henderson Borough councillor in 1956 and later became mayor of the borough.

In 1989, Corban was elected as the first Mayor of Waitakere City. He held the position for one term until 1992. He was then elected as a councillor to Waitakere City 1998–2001, and from 2007–2010.

In 2010 at the age of 85 he successfully stood for both the Henderson-Massey Local Board and the Waitakere Licensing Trust Ward 4 – Henderson.

Corban was the grandson of Lebanese immigrant Assid Abraham Corban, who is credited with kick-starting the New Zealand wine industry in 1908 and founding what has become one of the country's largest and most successful brands.

He retained a passion for wine and the local industry.

Earlier this year Corban was actively working on plans to turn part of the original Corbans vineyard site - now owned by Auckland City - into a National Wine Museum.

In the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours, Corban was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to local government and the community.