Keith Spry

Stuart Keith Spry (1911 – 14 October 1991) was a New Zealand swimmer, conservationist and local politician. On his death The Dominion described him as "one of the great identities of Wellington city".

Biography Early life and career Spry was born in New Zealand in 1911 on either 6 June (death entry) or 6 July (birth entry) to Palmer and Isabel Spry. He was educated at The Terrace School and Wellington Boys' College. In his youth Spry was a talented swimmer. He was New Zealand champion at breaststroke and only narrowly missed out on selection for the New Zealand swim team for the 1934 British Empire Games. His love of swimming, other sports and outdoor activities as a child lasted all of his life. He was a long-serving member of the Wellington Amateur Swimming Club's executive and coaching committees. He was a delegate to the Wellington centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association.

In 1926 Spry began work at a soft goods warehouse for the wholesaler firm of Macky, Logan, Caldwell, Ltd. Spry was a conservationist and spent 15 years as the chairman of the parks and recreation committee.

Spry stood for election to the New Zealand House of Representatives for the Labour Party on two occasions. He stood in in both and finishing in second place on both occasions to future Prime Minister Jack Marshall. In 1960 Spry contested the Labour Party nomination for the seat, but was unsuccessful. In 1969 he unsuccessfully contested the Labour pre-selection for following the retirement of Arnold Nordmeyer, however he lost to fellow city councillor Gerald O'Brien.

Spry was also a member of the Wellington Harbour Board. He was first elected in 1977 and served four terms until the board was dis-established in 1989. His main achievement on the board was the reclamation of land on the coast. At Spry's insistence much of the area was reserved for recreation and merged to enlarge Marine Park (which is now known as Frank Kitts Park). While supporting reclamation in Wellington city, he opposed similar development in Petone as it would have infringed on the "Queen's Chain" (a 20 metre strip of land near the mouth of the Hutt River) which had been reserved in 1840 to allow free access. He also successfully lobbied for Somes Island to be repurposed from a quarantine station to a dedicated area for conservation and scientific research. Twice he failed to pass a motion for Wellington Harbour to be declared as a nuclear free zone.

He was a foundation member of the Wellington Regional Council, elected for three terms between 1980 and 1989.

Death and legacy The Keith Spry Pool in Johnsonville was named after Spry in 1981. Owned and operated by the Wellington City Council, it is an indoor 25 metre heated pool with a diving pool, toddler pool, spa, and sauna: opened in June 1982. Spry was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1986 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to local-body and community affairs.

Spry died in Wellington on 14 October 1991 survived by his four children. Eda died earlier in the year, on 26 April.