Rail trail stalwart retires

Daphne Hull displays the special one-off book she received for her work  on the Otago Central...
Daphne Hull displays the special one-off book she received for her work on the Otago Central Rail Trail trust. Photo: Tom Kitchin
She has been pointing the handlebars in the right direction for 23 years, but now it’s time for Daphne Hull to change gear.

Last week, Mrs Hull retired from the Otago Central Rail Trail trust and was appointed an honorary life advisory trustee.

Mrs Hull was on the trust for 23 years, since its inception in 1994, and  was chairwoman  from 2002 to 2012.

As a life advisory trustee, Mrs Hull will  be able to attend future trust meetings and will have voting rights at each meeting.

Mrs Hull has been involved in the Alexandra community since she moved to the town 60 years ago.

"Ever since I arrived here, the first year I joined the [Alexandra] Musical Society ...  from the year I arrived I don’t think there’s been one solitary year that I haven’t been involved in three or more community activities," she said.

"I’m sort of winding down a bit now!"

She was a local councillor for 19 years, from 1983 to 2002, and was deputy mayor from 1999 to 2002.

She said everything she did for the rail trail was a team effort.

"It’s not one person, ever. The team has worked in partnership with Doc [Department of Conservation], who we have had a really good relationship [with]," she said.

One of her proudest moments on the rail trail was in the 2000s, when  then Minister for Conservation Chris Carter came to open the Wedderburn section of the trail.

Mrs Hull said Mr Carter spoke about how the rail trail had inspired Doc’s working with communities initiative.

"Because [Doc] worked so well with us, they could see how working with a group like us could be a great advantage to the community. It was the catalyst that encouraged Doc to work closely with communities," she said.

When it came to her proudest moment in the community,  a project in the 1980s  stood out.

"When I was on the [Alexandra] borough council ...  I looked at the gardens at Pioneer Park and there was no form; there was garden here, there and everywhere.

"At the time we had a lady who was absolutely wonderful — Glad McArthur — she knew everything about gardening. Between the two of us, we redesigned the gardens and they’re now called the McArthur Gardens.

"I was proud of that because they are absolutely beautiful and made a huge difference to the Pioneer Park garden area."

She even has an underpass and lane named after her — the Daphne Hull Subway and Lane — which leads rail trail bikers to the centre of Clyde, underneath State Highway 8.

Earlier this week, at a rail trail trust meeting, Mrs Hull was presented with a book titled The Mother of All Great Rides, which the trust had made as a leaving gift.

She received the only copy of the book, which  included photos, speeches and stories of her time on the trust.

"It was a very emotional moment to be presented with it," she said.

"It’s quite an honour that [the trust] appreciate my point of view."

Trail trust facilitator Clare Toia-Bailey said Mrs Hull’s  commitment to the trail project was "unbelievable". Trail trust chairwoman Kate Wilson said Mrs Hull  was the "go-to person for [bike] trails in New Zealand and throughout the world". Mrs Hull said she was an adviser for bike trails in New Zealand, Australia and Canada. She was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in 1999. 

- Tom Kitchin

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