Social work pioneer loved the Port Hills
Upon retirement, Maurice McGregor, a pioneer of social work in New Zealand, retreated to Christchurch’s Port Hills. He was passionate about those hills, those iconic spires of rock and grass, trees and paths.
Cutting and maintaining tracks, and planting huge swaths of native trees while president of the Summit Road Society, McGregor’s legacy will live on in Christchurch’s skyline and in the enjoyment he facilitated for generations to come.
McGregor’s environmental contribution was the last act in a life of accomplishments.
He also carved a path for fellow social workers, fighting tirelessly to legitimise the profession at a time when qualifications in the trade were scarce, and registration of social workers was non-existent.
Together with members of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, Maurice helped set up the first social work training programme at the University of Canterbury in the early 1970s, and was the inaugural chairman of the association’s competency programme.
He played an integral role in ensuring future generations of social workers were qualified, and those who need them were cared for by professionals.
‘‘He just liked helping people,’’ son David McGregor said. ‘‘He felt that was his calling, he was very community minded.’’
McGregor was born on March 21, 1930, in Christchurch and raised at the family’s home on Cashmere Rd.
A student at Cashmere Primary School and Christchurch Boys’ High School, he was an excellent sportsman, playing in the Boys’ High First XI cricket team and captaining the First XI hockey team.
He married Judith Harrison (nee Gill) on July 4, 1953, at St Augustines Anglican Church in Cashmere. They had five children – Robert in 1955, Alistair in 1958, Ann in 1959, David in 1964 and Susan in 1969.
McGregor’s tertiary training began at Canterbury University and finished at Canterbury Teacher’s College. He gained his first teaching jobs at Woolston School in 1954 and in 1955 took a position at the School for Deaf, now Van Asch Deaf Education Centre, in Sumner.
His teaching career was to be short-lived as he quickly switched to studying social work in Wellington before taking up a post with the Christchurch Anglican Social services in 1957.
David said why his father made the change from teaching to social work was unclear, although a story from McGregor’s childhood shed light on his compassionate nature.
‘‘When he was . . . in high school, his family took in a boarder, a Jewish refugee,’’ David said. ‘‘He and Dad shared a bedroom for a couple of years and I think that had quite an affect on him. From then on, he was always out to help the disadvantaged.’’
Between 1965 and 1977, McGregor served as chief social worker at the North Canterbury Hospital Board. From 1977, until he retired in 1990, he served as executive director of Presbyterian Support Services.
‘‘He really retired so he could play golf, and when he couldn’t get himself around the course he took up bowls,’’ David said.
Retirement was taken up by various board appointments, including deputy chairman of the Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board, inaugural chairman of the New Zealand Association of Social Workers’ Board of Competency and president of the Summit Road Society.
‘‘He had an affinity with Purau Beach and Diamond Harbour, where they had a holiday house, and he went sailing and played golf at Charteris Bay,’’ David said.
‘‘He spent a lot of time wandering around the Port Hills and repairing tracks and planting trees. That was his big thing once he retired from social work.’’
McGregor’s health only began to fade in his last three or four years, and he spent his last two years in a rest home.
‘‘Before that he was fine and living at home,’’ David said.
McGregor died on April 16 at Cashmere View Hospital. He was 87.
David said 80 service sheets were printed for his father’s funeral at St Augustines Anglican Church, but over 120 people turned up. ‘‘There were not nearly enough to go around.’’