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Long-time Taupo Advocate Christine McElwee Dies

Long-time Taupo advocate, historian, and former local body politician, Christine McElwee has died, aged 75 years.

Mrs McElwee was elected five times as Taupo District councillor from 1995 to 2010. During that time, she served twice as Deputy Mayor of Taupo.

She fought relentlessly to uphold the area’s district plan, special character, and protect the natural environment. She was unapologetic for strongly representing local ratepayers’ interests and demanding greater accountability and transparency.

As a resident of Acacia Bay for nearly 50 years, Mrs McElwee was heavily involved in the Acacia Bay Residents Association and more recently was co-ordinator of the Acacia Bay History Project.

In 1992 she co-authored, with local artist the late Val Raymond, ‘Nga marae o Ngati Tuwharetoa: drawings of marae around Lake Taupo.’

Earlier this year Christine McElwee worked as the curator of ‘Transformation’ – a Taupo Museum exhibition of Val Raymond’s life’s work. Mrs McElwee then helped to complete the artist’s intended book ‘Heritage Painting: Taupō-nui-a-Tia New Zealand’ which has now been successfully published.

In 2013, along with the late John Parsons, she published ‘Tribute to Western Bay, Lake Taupo’ – a book which explores the distinctive character and identity of the Western Bay, including documenting former Prime Minister Keith Holyoake’s involvement in the development of Kinloch village.

After a lifetime interest and involvement in horse racing, in 2015 Mrs McElwee published ‘Winning against the odds: the Taupo Racing Club's first fifty years, 1965-2015’. Commissioned by the local racing club, they entrusted her as one of their longest standing members to accurately portray their colourful half century as a country course.

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As a Friends of the Museum member, Christine McElwee spotted an 1889 painting by Charles Decimus Barraud depicting Lake Taupo which was about to go under the hammer. She helped ensure the historic artwork was successfully purchased in 2018 for permanent display in the Taupo Museum.

Born Christine Brewer, she grew up on St John’s Hill in Whanganui and was Head Girl of Whanganui Girls’ College. She went on to study Geography at Victoria University and complete a Diploma in Teaching. For several years she was a secondary school teacher in Wellington and worked in London.

In 1975 she married the late Ray La Varis who then became the National MP for Taupo. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was self-employed as a tourism marketing consultant. In 1991 she married Clayton McElwee who died in April this year.

Christine Clare McElwee (22 July 1946 to 25 June 2022) died unexpectedly but peacefully at her Acacia Bay home. She is survived by daughter Tessa and her partner Ian, and grandchildren Hugh and Grace.

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