Peter Hooper 1925-1991

Forest and Bird, Volume 22, Issue 3, 1 August 1991, Page 52

Peter Hooper 1925-1991

David Young

AFTER ALMOST 25 YEARS of visit‘ing the Coast I have great difficulty in separating the man, Peter Hooper, from the place, the West Coast. The deep philosophical calm of Peter and the dramatic beauty of the region he deliberately chose as his seem in perfect harmony. To arrive at his dwelling, be it at one of the Paroa properties he was to occupy or up the Grey Valley at Ahaura, was to be admitted into the life of one who lived the solitude of books and writing and thought, and yet loved people deeply too. In sO many ways he was a contrast to what the Coaster is popularly seen as — a man of deliberation rather than action, a peacemaker rather than a confrontationist, a man of gentleness, intuition and originality and a great lover of nature. He was not without considerable courage and independence and pursued his own beliefs, particularly about conservation, long before it was fashionable. Because of his style, his example, he won over far more converts both as

a teacher and exemplar, than perhaps he realised. He was a man of great lyrical gift. In his quietly appreciated but never fully acknowledged forest trilogy, Song of the Forest, People of the Long Water and Time and the Forest, he created the wonderful world of the boy who became a spiritual leader. In his most political work, Our Forests, Ourselves, he spoke of how so often all we see of the forest is what we view from a car — and how different it all is once we enter it on foot. That in some-ways sums him up — he never took something at face value but always chose the most deliberate route, achieving wisdom on the way. I have a sense that somewhere out in the Westland bush right now, a great rata is in untimely full florescence. Peter, it was a privilege to know you and I thank you for the opportunity.