Bazley, Dame Margaret

Jocelyn Peach
Jul 3, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Jan 6

Dame Margaret Clara Bazley ONZ, DNZM (née Hope, born 23 January 1938) has made a significant contribution to New Zealand society, a reputation for reform, transformational leadership and problem-solving, described as "one of this country’s most accomplished public servants";. Dame Margaret begin working as a psychiatric nurse in Wellington. In the late 1950s, she earned a Diploma of Nursing from Massey University.

She became the charge nurse at Tokanui Hospital in 1961, and rose quickly through the ranks to become assistant matron at Seacliff Mental Hospital in 1963, and matron at Sunnyside Hospital from 1965 to 1973. She was an early proponent of deinstitutionalisation , treating psychiatric patients as human beings. Another of her achievements in this role was to unify the facility; both staff and patients had previously been separated by gender. Mrs Bazley held other leadership positions at hospitals over the next few years. In 1971, Mrs Bazley was elected President of the New Zealand Nurses Association (now part of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation), from 1972 to 1974. She advocated in this role for better pay and respect for nurses. in 1973 she worked as the Senior Public Health Nurse in the Auckland District Health Office; from 1974 to 1975 she was the Deputy Matron in Chief for the Auckland Hospital Board; and from 1975 to 1978 she worked as the Chief Nursing Officer of the Waikato Hospital Board. In 1978 she became the Director of Nursing at the Department of Health, the chief nursing position in New Zealand. She was instrumental in transferring nursing education in New Zealand from hospitals into the education system. In 1984 became the first female State Services Commissioner. She subsequently held top positions at the Department of Transport and the Department of Social Welfare. From 1993 to 2001, Mrs Bazley was the Director-General of the Department of Social Welfare, restructuring of the department, to establish Work and Income New Zealand, the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services and the Ministry of Social Policy, to become the Ministry of Social Development in 2001. Established the Ministry of Women's Affairs. Despite retiring Mrs Bazley has continued to hold a number of important public sector roles, particularly in governance and conducting high-profile inquiries. She was the chairperson of the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology; chairperson of the New Zealand Fire Service Commission; a member of the Waitangi Tribunal and continued to sit on ongoing inquiry panels; after this date. She was the Registrar of MPs' Pecuniary Interests, responsible for compiling and maintaining the register of MPs' pecuniary and certain other interests. Mrs Bazley was one of the three commissioners of the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance that led to the establishment of the unitary Auckland Council. She also continued voluntary work in her retirement, as the patron of the New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses and the United Fire Brigades' Association of New Zealand.

Mrs Bazley has had particular influence in justice system reforms as she led a Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct. Her report in 2007 identified a number of systemic issues and matters of misconduct. Her findings were accepted by the Commissioner of Police and a ten-year monitoring and reporting regime was put in place. In 2009, Bazley was appointed to review legal aid in New Zealand. Her report led to a number of reforms including the introduction of new legislation and the expansion of the Public Defence Service. Mrs Bazley was the chairwoman of the commissioners of regional council Environment Canterbury from 2009 to 2016. On her retirement she was praised by local groups including Ngāi Tahu and Federated Farmers for contributing to significantly improved relationships between their members and the council. In 2018, Mrs Bazley was engaged by New Zealand law firm Russell McVeagh to lead an inquiry. Awards and Acknowledgement: Dame Margaret has received a number of awards recognising her contribution to nursing and wider society. She was made a member of the Order of New Zealand; awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal in 1990, and the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal in 1993. In 1999 she was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for public services; awarded an additional member of the Order of New Zealand in the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours. She has received a Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award in 2011; is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport. Several universities have recognised Dame Margaret for her contributions to public life: an honorary Doctor of Letters from Massey University in 2008; an honorary degree in natural resources from Lincoln University in 2018; an honorary Doctor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington in 2019.

June 2024