Sir Dove-Myer Robinson (15 June 1901 - 14 August 1989) was Mayor of Auckland from 1959 to 1965 and from 1968 to 1980, the longest tenure of any holder of the office.
He was a colourful character and became affectionately known across New Zealand as "Robbie". He was one of several Jewish mayors of Auckland, although he rejected Judaism as a teenager and became a lifelong atheist. He has been described as a "slight, bespectacled man whose tiny stat...
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Sir Dove-Myer Robinson (15 June 1901 - 14 August 1989) was Mayor of Auckland from 1959 to 1965 and from 1968 to 1980, the longest tenure of any holder of the office.
He was a colourful character and became affectionately known across New Zealand as "Robbie". He was one of several Jewish mayors of Auckland, although he rejected Judaism as a teenager and became a lifelong atheist. He has been described as a "slight, bespectacled man whose tiny stature was offset by a booming voice and massive ego".
Born Mayer Dove Robinson in Sheffield, England, he was the sixth of seven children of Ida Brown and Moss Robinson. While his father described himself as a master jeweller, he actually sold trinkets and second-hand furniture, and the family was poor and often on the move. Robinson's mother influenced the upbringing of her son by transmitting the strict values her rabbi father had taught her. His Jewish heritage ensured that he was often targeted by anti-semitic violence in the schools he...
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