Jim Hopkins, who was one of the most recognisable faces and voices in New Zealand broadcasting long before he swapped the studio for a seat in a small district council chamber, has died. The Waitaki District Council announced on Monday evening that Hopkins had died early that morning. RNZ reported he was 80.
Hopkins had represented the Oamaru ward on the Waitaki District Council since 2007 and was still in office when he died. The council flag was lowered to half mast and a condolences book opened at the council offices in Oamaru, with details of a memorial service to be announced in the days ahead.
Waitaki Mayor Mel Tavendale said the district had lost a genuine one off. “We’ve lost a true legend today, a friend and someone that really did break the mould and gave his all to this community,” she told the Otago Daily Times.
“Jim was a natural orator, a media legend, a sharp and generous mind, and someone who always seemed to find his way to the side of the underdog,” Tavendale said. “Across New Zealand he was known — and, at times, famously or infamously known — as a broadcaster, columnist, author, debater and MC … But beneath the comedy, the performance and the razor-sharp wit was a man who cared deeply — about fairness, about people, about community, and about this place we call home.”
She also described the practical side of the man who sat in the chamber with her. “He was a fierce advocate for the people of Waitaki, both within and beyond council, and he scrutinised every detail,” Tavendale said. “The council chamber will not be the same without him, his passionate arguments, attention to detail and incredible wit.”
Council chief executive Alex Parmley said Hopkins combined seriousness about the job with an obvious enjoyment of it. “Jim always brought a very considered approach to his responsibilities on council, together with a wicked sense of humour,” Parmley said.
Born in 1946, Hopkins built a career that touched almost every part of the New Zealand media before local government claimed him. He started out writing, contributing to the long running domestic drama Close to Home in the 1970s and to the satirical series Public Eye. He then moved in front of the camera as a reporter and presenter across news, current affairs and documentary work, including the science programme Fast Forward and the invention showcase The Inventors.
His biggest commercial success arrived in 1998 with Blokes and Sheds, a book that took the ordinary New Zealand backyard shed seriously as a subject and found an enormous audience for it. It reached the top of the national sales charts within a week. He followed it a year later with Inventions from the Shed, turned the idea into television with the series Blokes ‘n’ Sheds, and later made a five part documentary series about Australian inventors on the same theme.
Radio took up much of the rest of his working life. Hopkins hosted talkback on Radio Avon in Christchurch and Radio Pacific in Auckland, and for years wrote a regular column in the New Zealand Herald that readers either looked forward to or wrote in about, and often both. He was a fixture on panel shows, a sought after master of ceremonies and a debater who enjoyed an audience.
One booking outlasted almost everything else he did. Hopkins hosted the grand final of the Young Farmer of the Year contest for 21 consecutive years, standing on stage in provincial halls and showgrounds around the country until he handed the microphone on after the 2011 final. He also fronted the cooking series The Knackered Chef and appeared in the 2019 documentary Funny As, which traced the history of New Zealand comedy.
The move into local government was not a late life hobby. Hopkins served four terms as a councillor on the old Banks Peninsula Council before shifting south, and he was elected to the Waitaki District Council in 2007. He was sworn in as deputy mayor on 19 October 2010 and held the role for three years. He stood for the Waitaki mayoralty in 2013 without success, then went back to the council table and stayed there.
Nearly two decades of that work meant Hopkins was, for many people in Oamaru and the wider Waitaki district, not a television name at all. He was the councillor who read the agenda papers properly, asked the awkward question about a budget line and could be relied on to make a long meeting bearable. Council staff and fellow councillors have described him this week as beloved, and said he would be remembered with respect and gratitude.
The Waitaki District Council said the memorial arrangements would be shared once they were confirmed, and that the condolences book would remain available at its offices for people who wanted to leave a message for his family. Tributes have also come in from broadcasters and colleagues around the country, many of them noting the red framed glasses that became something close to a trademark over four decades on screen.
Did Jim Hopkins interview you, MC your event or answer your call on talkback? Share your memory of him in the comments below.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job 🙂
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