Pam Naylor’s 57 Years Of Community Service Acknowledged

Garston stalwart Pam Naylor’s remarkable 57-year record of service to the northern Southland community has been acknowledged with an award from Southland District Council and the Northern Community Board.

There is scarcely a group, organisation or project that Mrs Naylor has not been involved in since she hit the ground running in Garston, newly married to Peter Naylor, in 1968.

Mayor Rob Scott said it was staggering how heavily involved in her community she had been over such a long time. “There’s barely a structure in the Athol/Garston area that hasn’t been touched in some way by the hand of Pam. Her legacy will be felt everywhere in the area for many decades to come.”

After starting Girl Guides and Brownies in the Athol/Garston area in 1969, Mrs Naylor was involved for 28 years. That same year she formed the first girls’ hockey team in the area, helped drive the development of the hockey ground on the Athol domain and was a Northern Southland hockey selector and coach for 15 years. She was also a member of the Garston Ice Skating Club for 20 years.

After being elected to the Garston Hall Committee in 1971 she served for 53 years.

She was elected on the Athol Domain Board in 1974, and continued that role until the formation of the Southland District Council Athol Community Development Area (CDA) Subcommittee in 1991. She remained on the CDA, serving 10 years as chair, until the CDAs were phased out in 2019, at which time she was elected as a member of the new Northern Community Board.

Also in 1974 she started work at Garston School as a clerical assistant and teacher aide, later becoming the librarian.

In 1980 she was appointed by the Girl Guide association as the Southland provincial outdoor instructor, holding this position for 29 years, as well as being the district and division commissioner during this time.

Mrs Naylor also looked after the school pool and was co-ordinator of the Garston Trail Bike Rids fundraiser for 40 years.

In 1993 she began a 32-year term as a trustee for the Athol Gallery Trust, and was a first responder for St John and the Garston Fire Brigade for 15 years.

She rolled up her sleeves and mowed the Garston cemetery, Presbyterian and Catholic church lawns for 25 years, as well as managing Garston postal services for 24 years.

Mrs Naylor was appointed as a justice of the peace in 2017.

She has been a driving force in countless community projects, including the Athol and Garston welcome signs, the Garston Peter Rabbit thinking seat, the Athol Anzac memorial seat, and Garston’s Russell Glendinning memorial seat.

Pam’s husband Peter received his own Community Service Award in 2022.