In honour of Bruce Murray

By Frank Neill

The Tawa Community Board is considering naming a street in honour of Bruce Murray.

Famous as a test cricketer, who opened the batting for New Zealand, Mr Murray also made a series of valuable contributions to the Tawa community. He died on 10 January this year aged 82, and more than 500 people attended his funeral, held at Tawa College –where he had served as Principal – on 18 January.

The Tawa Community Board, at its meeting on 17 April, received a request from Wendy Cameron to name a street after him.

“As a prominent community member, Bruce had huge influence and made valuable and lasting contributions in many areas of the Tawa community, including in the education sector, within the Tawa Historical Society, and in his church circles,” Ms Cameron said in her request to the community board.

The community board has asked Wellington City Council to provide it with information and advice on how to proceed with the request to name a street after Mr Murray, the board’s Chair, Jill Day, told the “Independent Herald”.

Mr Murray was a “very, very valued member of the community … and contributed to the community in many ways,” Ms Day said.

As well as possibly considering a street name – “we also have to have a street that needs to be named” – the community board would be considering other ways to honour Mr Murray.

“We need to work with [Mr Murray’s] family around what they feel is right for Bruce’s memory,” Ms Day said.