Emeritus Professor Paul Spoonley who was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the recent King’s Birthday Honours.
Otago alumnus Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley FRSNZ says former Otago geographers Ron Lister and Brian Heenan had a major impact on his academic career.
Paul was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to Sociology. However, it was two then lecturers, from the Otago Department of Geography in the mid-1970s who helped shape his future.
“Ron looked after me, he made sure I could move to Auckland to do my master’s fieldwork, he got into a lot of trouble at the time, as it wasn’t the done thing to go and live and do your research elsewhere, at least in geography.”
Paul’s Otago master’s thesis was on gatekeeper attitudes towards Pasifika migrants, especially those from Niue, so Auckland was the best place to undertake his research.
“He (Ron) also helped me get a job in Sociology at the University of Auckland, so he looked after me and for that I am eternally grateful.”
Meanwhile, he found Brian Heenan an example of the kind of educator that he would like to be.
“He was a really empathetic lecturer. In the early seventies some lecturers were not particularly approachable or accessible, he guided my approach in my career of teaching and supervising students.”
In addition, he says Brian sparked a passion for demography and 45 years after taking his classes Paul published a book on NZ population geography; The New Zealand: Facing Demographic Disruption (2020).
Otago alumnus Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley and his wife Jennifer on the Kepler Track; the pair met at university.
After completing his BA in Geography and Sociology at Victoria University of Wellington, Paul moved to Otago to study a Postgraduate Diploma in Geography (at the time Otago did not offer Sociology) followed by a Master of Arts. He followed his then girlfriend (now wife) Jennifer Crowley south, who was studying Home Science.
Paul, who is from Havelock North, and Jennifer from Hastings, had met at high school in Hastings and had maintained their relationship through their early tertiary studies.
“We’ve been an item since we were 17. We’re those classic North Island students that during their formative years spend time studying and socialising in Dunedin.”
Paul’s former student flat is directly opposite the Central Library, but then it was a short walk across to Geography. Built in 1900, today the flat is known as “The Embassy”.
“It (Otago) felt a lot more intimate with a strong feeling of community amongst the students and easy access to staff.
“We really enjoyed ourselves at Otago, it is very much a university town, but not like Hamilton or Palmerston North. It’s got a very strong student identity. I enjoyed the intimacy of the small classes and I really appreciated the quality of staff and the ease of access to Central Otago and Fiordland was a real bonus.
“All in all, those two years when I was part of the Otago Geography programme provided the platform for my own academic career, both in terms of my choice of research topics and my approach to teaching. I have a lot to be thankful for.”
Paul and Jennifer left Auckland for Paul to complete a second master’s in the UK. On their return in1979, Paul accepted a position with Massey University in Palmerston North, where he completed his PhD. He stayed with Massey throughout most of his academic career, moving to the Albany campus as Auckland Regional Director in 1993 and retiring in 2021.
While living in Palmerston North Paul and Jennifer had two children. Their elder son Jacob Spoonley, who was a professional footballer and an All White, began his senior career for Dunedin’s Southern United club and did some study in the city, but soon moved back to Auckland.
He completed his studies at the University of Auckland (BA/LLB Hons). Jacob is currently the General Manager of the New Zealand Professional Footballers’ Association and a football analyst and commentator for Sky TV.
Their younger son Nathan completed a Master of Planning at the University of Auckland and has worked for Auckland Council.
Jennifer became a teacher and later a registered dietitian. She obtained her PhD at the University of Auckland and taught and researched in the Auckland Medical School.
Paul was appointed as a member of the Independent Panel of New Zealand Police’s “Understanding Policing Delivery” and was Chair of the Research Management Committee. He was a member of the Marsden Fund Council and he chaired the Social Sciences Panel from 2017 to 2024.
He has published 29 books and has more than 300 peer-reviewed academic journal articles and is a regularly contributor to the media. He has been a research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Germany and is a Fellow and Board member of Auckland Museum.
He and Jennifer plan to spend more time at their Hawke’s Bay property, enjoy some travel; including doing more of Aotearoa’s Great Walks and are both keen cyclists.
He still has links with the University of California, Berkeley, where he was Fulbright Senior Scholar in 2010, and last year worked at Malmö University in Sweden.
He recently spent a week in the Bavarian Alps at a retreat in a castle sponsored by the Max Planck Institute with a couple of dozen experts from around the world looking at the future of mobility, migration and diversity.
Overseas when he received notification of his honour from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, he received a follow-up call to say, “what’s happening, are you accepting the award?”
“I get a great buzz from these announcements, even when it’s hearing about other people doing good stuff, in this country of ours,” Paul says.
Kōrero by Kerry Dohig, Communications Adviser Development and Alumni Relations Office