A builder who pioneered pre-cut timber frames for New Zealand homes, Barry Beazley, has died, aged 80, at Mount Maunganui.
Beazley Homes were popular with first-home buyers in New Zealand from the 1950s to the 1970s, and their L-shaped floorplans were sold with an advertising jingle, "Easily a Beazley Home", the Bay of Plenty Times reported.
Beazley Homes were established by Mr Beazley's late father, Fred, known as "Radiata Fred" , and in 1962 his Tauranga business and one run by Barry Beazley at Mt Maunganui were merged into a single company based there.
Barry Beazley was best known for pioneering the idea of pre-cutting timber framework for wood homes which initially enabled him to send out more than 40 house kits a week from Mount Maunganui by truck, rail or ship around New Zealand and overseas.
In 1972 Beazley Homes and PTY Homes Ltd (Putaruru) formed a joint venture company called Waitemata Properties Ltd to specialise in home building in Auckland.This was a return to Auckland for the family, as Barry Beazely's grandfather Albert, began building homes there with his son Fred.
In 1972, the company used a joint venture, Merritt-Beazley Homes Ltd, in Christchurch, to cover the South Island, according to Fletcher Challenge archives.
Mr Beazely was a developer as well as a builder. At one point he named some Mt Maunganui streets such as Moorea Place, Tahara Crescent and Matavai Street on his return from a holiday in Tahiti.
Gobray Crescent is said to be named after Mlle Gobray -- whom he met in Tahiti -- who was once (former French president) Charles de Gaulle's mistress.
Fletcher Holdings Ltd bought up Beazley Homes in 1973, and made it part of Fletcher Residential Ltd. In the same year, Beazley Homes was awarded the New Zealand Export Award of the Year, after constructing more than 16,000 houses in New Zealand.
Mr Beazley moved to Australia and, with his son Mark, developed a steel modular home system which became known as Force 10.
Barry Beazley is survived by his wife Doreen and children Linda and Mark. He had three grandchildren, Alice, Phoebe and Riki.
His funeral will be held tomorrow.
