Jim Belich

Belich was born on 25 July 1927 in Awanui, Northland, to parents Jakov and Maria Belich of Croat descent.[1][3] He was head boy at Otahuhu College.[1] He received his tertiary education at the Auckland University College and Victoria University College, graduating from the latter with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955.[4] In 1951, Belich married Valerie Anzulovich, who was also of Croatian descent. They had three children, including the historian Professor James Belich.[1] His granddaughter, Camilla Belich, was elected to the New Zealand Parliament on the Labour list in the 2020 election.[5] He worked for the firm J. Inglis Wright Advertising from 1956 to 1986. He was head of the firm from 1974 to 1986.[6]

He grew up bilingual, speaking Serbo-Croatian with his parents and English to both of his elder brothers.[6] In 1948, due to his education and language skills, he was asked by the Yugoslav government to work with expatriate communities of Yugoslavs in both New Zealand and Australia. For the next several years he working amongst the politically fragmented communities (many who had fled invasion from Nazi Germany) in both Auckland and Sydney until 1956.[7] He joined the Labour Party in 1954 and was involved in advertising for the party, including media training for Labour leader Norman Kirk for television appearances.[6]

Belich was the founding president of UNICEF New Zealand during which time New Zealand signed up to the United Nations treaty on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. He was also president of the United Nations Association and in 1979 was chairman of the International Year of the Child, which led to the establishment of the Children's Commission. Belich belonged as well to Rotary, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and the Wellington Club.[6]

Belich had been approached to stand for mayor in 1977 and 1980, but declined the offers for personal reasons.[8] In 1986 Belich, supported by Wellington Central MP Fran Wilde, was chosen as Labour's candidate for mayor over regional councillor Ken Boyden and Wellington Clean Water Campaign convener John Blincoe.[9] He was elected Mayor of Wellington, despite having no previous experience as an elected official and was re-elected in 1989. He also served on the Wellington Regional Council and Wellington Harbour Board from 1986 to 1989.[1]

Key to Belich's victory was a campaign pledge to end the practice of discharging raw sewage into the sea along the south coast of the city which sullied the sea. Belich began the process toward a newer and more environmentally sustainable sewerage system, however the years long project to build a new plant was not completed until after he retired.[6] During most of his mayoralty Wellington was going through a period of economic recession. Belich and the majority Labour councillors navigated the downturn through a public works programme which included an extension to the Kilbirnie pool and the re-development of the central library, art museum and Civic Square.[6] Belich also oversaw large changes in council operations, due to the 1989 local government reforms, seeing council departments restructured to self accountable business units. He also set up a trust to organise the infamous 'Sesqui 1990' celebrations to mark 150 years since the foundation of Wellington.[10]

Belich retired from the mayoralty in 1992.[1]

In 2008, Belich was made an honorary citizen of the town that his family came from, Korčula in Dalmatia, Croatia.[11] He died in Wellington on 13 September 2015.[1]

In 1990, Belich was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[3] In the 1991 New Year Honours, he was appointed as a Knight Bachelor, for services to local government and the community.[12]

In 2019 the Wellington City Council opened a playground in Berhampore named the Jim Belich Playground after him.[13]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jim Belich.

• James Belich in 1986 (photo)