Sir Laurence Houghton Stevens (9 January 1920 – 28 September 2006) was a New Zealand accountant and industrialist.

Early life and family

Born in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

on 9 January 1920, Stevens was educated at

Auckland Grammar School Auckland Grammar School (often simplified to Auckland Grammar, or Grammar), established in 1869, is a State school, state, Day school, day and Boarding school, boarding secondary school for Single-sex education, boys in Auckland, New Zealand. ...

. He went on to study at

Auckland University College The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loca ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor of Commerce A Bachelor of Commerce (BCom or B Com) is an undergraduate degree in commerce, accounting, mathematics, economics, and management-related subjects. The degree is mainly offered in Commonwealth nations. Structure Bachelor of Commerce The Bac ...

in 1949, and qualify as a chartered accountant. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Stevens served with the

2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

in Italy and the Middle East. On 28 August 1943, he married Beryl Joyce Dickson at St Andrew's Church,

Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...

, and the couple went on to have three children, including

Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...

judge and

Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

Lyn Stevens.

Career

Stevens began working for Auckland Knitting Mills Limited in 1946, becoming secretary in 1948, manager in 1952 and managing director from 1962 until his retirement in 1980. He was active in various industry bodies, serving as president of the New Zealand Knitting Industries Federation from 1955 to 1960, president of the New Zealand Textile and Garment Manufacturers Federation between 1959 and 1960, and president of the New Zealand Manufacturers Federation from 1970 to 1971, and from 1981 to 1983. Stevens held several directorships, including of the

Reserve Bank of New Zealand The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) () is the central bank of New Zealand. It was established in 1934 and is currently constituted under the ''Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 2021''. The current acting governor of the Reserve Bank, Christian ...

Lane Walker Rudkin Canterbury of New Zealand (commonly referred to simply as Canterbury) is a New Zealand sports equipment manufacturing company focused on rugby. The company originated from the Canterbury region in New Zealand. Canterbury of New Zealand was est ...

Auckland International Airport Auckland Airport is an international airport serving Auckland, the most populous city of New Zealand. It is the largest and busiest airport in the country, with over 18.7 million passengers served in the year ended December 2024. The airport ...

Guardian Royal Exchange Assurance Guardian Royal Exchange Assurance plc was a large British insurance company. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. History The company was established through the merger of the Guardian Assuranc ...

Thorn EMI Thorn EMI was a major British company involved in consumer electronics, music, defence and retail. Created when Thorn Electrical Industries merged with EMI in October 1979, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituen ...

, Wormald, and Fay Richwhite. A staunch advocate for free trade, Stevens helped to persuade New Zealand manufacturers to accept the New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement in 1965, and later was closely involved in negotiations leading to the Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement between New Zealand and Australia in 1983.

Other activities

While a student, Stevens represented Auckland University at tennis, and he later served as president of the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association between 1983 and 1984. He also served as chair of the Auckland Agricultural, Pastoral and Industrial Shows Board, and was a member of the

Melanesian Mission The Melanesian Mission is an Anglican missionary agency supporting the work of local Anglican churches in Melanesia. It was founded in 1849 by George Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand. History Bishop Selwyn's see was focused on New Zealan ...

Trust Board.

Honours and awards

Stevens was awarded life membership of the New Zealand Textile and Garment Manufacturers Federation in 1977, and accorded the same honour by the New Zealand Knitting Industries Federation the following year. In the

1979 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1979 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countrie ...

, Stevens was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, for services to the textile industry, and in the

1983 Queen's Birthday Honours Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in suppl ...

, he was made a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

, for services to the textile industry and export. He was inducted into the

New Zealand Business Hall of Fame The New Zealand Business Hall of Fame is a figurative hall of fame dedicated to New Zealanders who have made a significant contribution to the economic and social development of New Zealand. The hall was established in 1994 by the Young Enterpri ...

in 1999.

Death

Stevens died on 28 September 2006, and his ashes were buried at Purewa Cemetery, in the Auckland suburb of Meadowbank. Beryl, Lady Stevens, died in 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Laurie 1920 births 2006 deaths Businesspeople from Auckland People educated at Auckland Grammar School University of Auckland alumni New Zealand accountants New Zealand women accountants New Zealand businesspeople New Zealand sports executives and administrators New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand Knights Bachelor Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Burials at Purewa Cemetery