Obituary: Sir Michael Hill, a jeweller and more
As catchphrases go, it isn't much.
"Michael Hill. Jeweller" did little more than accurately describe the man who first said it in the early '80s in a stilted debut television commercial inspired by the awkward but effective personal advertisements fronted by Wellington appliance store owner Alan Martin.
Michael Hill kept on saying the phrase, over and over again — "it was all in the pausing" he once said, in an attempt to explain the commercials' pop culture appeal.
The ubiquitous, eponymous advertisements were everywhere on TV and radio for two decades or more, and made the jewellery store a household name. They proved to be a canny marketing device which helped propel a humble Whangarei shop into an international chain with more than 300 branches.
On the back of that success, "Michael Hill. Jeweller" became Sir Michael Hill, multimillionaire — and not only a successful businessman but also a generous philanthropist who devoted much of his time and energy to supporting sports, the arts and numerous charities.
He also became a pillar of the Queenstown community, having settled in Arrowtown around 1994.
Little in Michael Hill's early life hinted at the fame and fortune to come. Born in Whangarei in 1938, Hill showed little academic promise at Whangarei Boys' High School.
What he did show was some talent at music, having taken up the violin at age 11. He was precocious enough to express hopes of a career in music, but finishing fourth in a competition when he was 17 dampened his hopes and saw Hill marched off to work for his uncle, Arthur Fisher, at his family jewellery store.
Hill explained in later life that he had started playing seriously at too old an age to become a concert virtuoso, but that did not mean his love of playing dimmed. Hill practised solo Bach violin pieces every day his schedule allowed.
Working for his uncle offered little chance for flights of fancy, but it did allow him a comfortable income. In 1964, he met Christine Roe, a young arts teacher from Yorkshire, when she walked into the store.
They married four months later in early 1965 and had two children: Mark, a sculptor who also designs jewellery for the family firm, and Emma, who succeeded her father as the head of Michael Hill International in 2015.
In 1971, the couple began building a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home at the scenic Whangarei Heads. Three years later, with the house near completion, the family went into town to go to the movies. While there, the Hills' dream home went up in flames.
Totally uninsured and having lost everything, Michael Hill had an epiphany: that same night he decided to buy his uncle out of the business.
He found a backer and approached his uncle nine months later. Turned down flat, an undaunted Michael Hill went ahead and opened up a new store under his own name just up the road. It was the start of a glittering new career.
At the age of 40 and with a young family, few men would have dared do what Michael Hill did, but he was by now possessed with supreme confidence that he was going to succeed.
Hill sold only jewellery and watches, and always had stock at affordable prices.
"Jewellery is an emotional purchase; it has enduring memories," he once said, explaining the philosophy behind the store.
The upstart shop was soon turning over far more than its predecessor, and within a short time, Michael Hill had delivered on his pledge to open seven stores within seven years. Buoyed by a successful stock exchange listing in 1987, that target was revised to 70 stores in seven years.
Expansion was key to Hill's success — at one point he targeted 1000 stores — but he didn't always get everything right: a short-lived venture into selling shoes was, in Sir Michael's own words, an utter disaster. His attempt to export the Michael Hill formula to the United States also failed to fly, although he enjoyed greater success across the border in Canada.
By the end of his life, 287 Michael Hill stores were trading, across New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
In the early 1990s, the Hills hatched plans to relocate south, to Queenstown.
However, as a colourful character, Hill had a couple of early spats with the local council. Initially, it was for choosing a shade of pink for the house he built on a former deer farm he bought beside Arrowtown — it was said not to conform with the council's colour palette.
Hill was then ticked off for not having consent for a sculptural piece he had installed.
Meanwhile, his jewellery chain had opened a Michael & Co store in the new Steamer Wharf complex: that became Michael Hill Jeweller two years later.
That store, which later shifted to Rees St, was last year relaunched as the first new-concept store for the business.
Hill published an autobiography entitled Hello, Michael Hill Jeweller, in 1994. He also had two business advice books printed, in 2009 and 2010.
In the mid-'90s, still in fine musical fettle, Hill performed a violin concert in the Gibbston Valley Winery cave.
That concert was the inspiration for what became the biennial Michael Hill International Violin Competition, which launched in Queenstown and Auckland in 2001. His competition is now rated among the best in the world.
Over the years, Hill also hosted concerts by top-notch musicians at his high-end lodge. In 2020, as a Covid-19 fundraiser, he performed his first recital in about 24 years — on a 1755 Guadagnini violin — in concert with his then 12-year-old grandson, Jacob.
He told Mountain Scene at the time: "All communities are better if they're enriched with a deep understanding of music, and it's something the human race has always had."
As Hill aged, he began to accumulate honours which reflected his lengthy and impactful career. He was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002, a member of the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2006 and was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008.
In 2011 came a watershed moment when Michael Hill, jeweller, became Sir Michael, for services to business and the arts.
Sport was also a passion. In the 2000s, he had had a chip-and-putt course built on his Arrowtown property, perhaps inspired by a mini-golf course he formed around his parents' garden in Whangarei which he charged the neighbourhood children to play — except at The Hills he'd host charity tournaments on it.
He recalled broadcaster Mike Hosking telling him he looked forward to playing it. Embarrassed he couldn't present a better offering, Sir Michael asked course designer John Darby to add a grunty par-four.
But before long, he told him, "to hell with it, let's do the whole 18, and, oh, I want it to be a championship course".
Spending a huge amount on the course — Hill would not tell his wife how much — and an award-winning bunker-style clubhouse, he was then granted three years' hosting rights for the NZ Open. The course opened just in time for the 2007 Open.
In 2012, The Hills staged the NZ PGA champs, adding on — at the suggestion of ex-All Blacks coach John Hart — a pro-am component. Two such events were so successful that he, along with neighbouring Millbrook, were granted hosting rights again, with that pro-am component then added to the event.
In a nice touch, Sir Michael and Millbrook founder the late Eichii Ishii received the "keys to Arrowtown" before the 2015 Open.
The courses continued co-hosting the event till 2020, and though The Hills hasn't been involved since, Sir Michael deserves credit for reviving the event.
Meanwhile, in 2019 he'd added a par-3 nine-holer, The Farm, which he said when it opened was "possibly [his] finest achievement".
Along with The Hills' development as a top-notch private course, he also turned it into a sculpture park.
He was inspired not only by his son Mark being a sculptor, but also advice from friend Guenther Radler who told him: "No golf course in the world does this — it will give you an enormous point of difference".
The incredible sculptural pieces, which he kept adding to, include a Chinese sculptor's statue of a warrior surrounded by 110 wolf figurines, called The Wolves are Coming, which Sir Michael had spotted in a public courtyard in China.
He would open the sculpture park for fundraisers, including for his favourite charity, Cure Kids.
Beyond music and golf, Sir Michael had a financial interest in an Arrowtown hospitality venture and was a prolific cartoonist.
In 2019, he launched a 408-page book of his cartoons, Catch & Release: A Life of Art, Thoughts and Nonsense, and he also produced weekly cartoons for Mountain Scene for the past six years.
Sir Michael always enjoyed the fun side of life and loved dressing in zany garb. His flamboyance was most on display at the closing ceremonies at his NZ Opens, where one year he appeared as a greenkeeper.
He was a very fit and health-conscious individual, who meditated too, and was very proud of Christine, whom he credited for so much of his success, and children Mark and Emma.
Just this March, not long after scoring his first hole-in-one, 72 years after first picking up a club, Sir Michael and Lady Christine celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary — fittingly, it was a diamond anniversary.
Reflecting on his life after turning 80, he said if he hadn't bought The Hills, which had effectively become "the biggest park in the area", it would have been filled with 10-acre blocks with "all sorts of funny, unco-ordinated homes.
"I think we need to be custodians for the area and look after it. We're only here for a blip, really."
Sir Michael Hill died in Arrowtown on July 29, aged 86.
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Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Obituary: Sir Michael Hill, a jeweller and more
Sir Michael Hill, one of New Zealand's most successful businessmen and most generous philanthropists, left an indelible mark on the South. Mike Houlahan and Philip Chandler look back on his eventful and colourful life. As catchphrases go, it isn't much. "Michael Hill. Jeweller" did little more than accurately describe the man who first said it in the early '80s in a stilted debut television commercial inspired by the awkward but effective personal advertisements fronted by Wellington appliance store owner Alan Martin. Michael Hill kept on saying the phrase, over and over again — "it was all in the pausing" he once said, in an attempt to explain the commercials' pop culture appeal. The ubiquitous, eponymous advertisements were everywhere on TV and radio for two decades or more, and made the jewellery store a household name. They proved to be a canny marketing device which helped propel a humble Whangarei shop into an international chain with more than 300 branches. On the back of that success, "Michael Hill. Jeweller" became Sir Michael Hill, multimillionaire — and not only a successful businessman but also a generous philanthropist who devoted much of his time and energy to supporting sports, the arts and numerous charities. He also became a pillar of the Queenstown community, having settled in Arrowtown around 1994. Little in Michael Hill's early life hinted at the fame and fortune to come. Born in Whangarei in 1938, Hill showed little academic promise at Whangarei Boys' High School. What he did show was some talent at music, having taken up the violin at age 11. He was precocious enough to express hopes of a career in music, but finishing fourth in a competition when he was 17 dampened his hopes and saw Hill marched off to work for his uncle, Arthur Fisher, at his family jewellery store. Hill explained in later life that he had started playing seriously at too old an age to become a concert virtuoso, but that did not mean his love of playing dimmed. Hill practised solo Bach violin pieces every day his schedule allowed. Working for his uncle offered little chance for flights of fancy, but it did allow him a comfortable income. In 1964, he met Christine Roe, a young arts teacher from Yorkshire, when she walked into the store. They married four months later in early 1965 and had two children: Mark, a sculptor who also designs jewellery for the family firm, and Emma, who succeeded her father as the head of Michael Hill International in 2015. In 1971, the couple began building a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home at the scenic Whangarei Heads. Three years later, with the house near completion, the family went into town to go to the movies. While there, the Hills' dream home went up in flames. Totally uninsured and having lost everything, Michael Hill had an epiphany: that same night he decided to buy his uncle out of the business. He found a backer and approached his uncle nine months later. Turned down flat, an undaunted Michael Hill went ahead and opened up a new store under his own name just up the road. It was the start of a glittering new career. At the age of 40 and with a young family, few men would have dared do what Michael Hill did, but he was by now possessed with supreme confidence that he was going to succeed. Hill sold only jewellery and watches, and always had stock at affordable prices. "Jewellery is an emotional purchase; it has enduring memories," he once said, explaining the philosophy behind the store. The upstart shop was soon turning over far more than its predecessor, and within a short time, Michael Hill had delivered on his pledge to open seven stores within seven years. Buoyed by a successful stock exchange listing in 1987, that target was revised to 70 stores in seven years. Expansion was key to Hill's success — at one point he targeted 1000 stores — but he didn't always get everything right: a short-lived venture into selling shoes was, in Sir Michael's own words, an utter disaster. His attempt to export the Michael Hill formula to the United States also failed to fly, although he enjoyed greater success across the border in Canada. By the end of his life, 287 Michael Hill stores were trading, across New Zealand, Australia and Canada. In the early 1990s, the Hills hatched plans to relocate south, to Queenstown. However, as a colourful character, Hill had a couple of early spats with the local council. Initially, it was for choosing a shade of pink for the house he built on a former deer farm he bought beside Arrowtown — it was said not to conform with the council's colour palette. Hill was then ticked off for not having consent for a sculptural piece he had installed. Meanwhile, his jewellery chain had opened a Michael & Co store in the new Steamer Wharf complex: that became Michael Hill Jeweller two years later. That store, which later shifted to Rees St, was last year relaunched as the first new-concept store for the business. Hill published an autobiography entitled Hello, Michael Hill Jeweller, in 1994. He also had two business advice books printed, in 2009 and 2010. In the mid-'90s, still in fine musical fettle, Hill performed a violin concert in the Gibbston Valley Winery cave. That concert was the inspiration for what became the biennial Michael Hill International Violin Competition, which launched in Queenstown and Auckland in 2001. His competition is now rated among the best in the world. Over the years, Hill also hosted concerts by top-notch musicians at his high-end lodge. In 2020, as a Covid-19 fundraiser, he performed his first recital in about 24 years — on a 1755 Guadagnini violin — in concert with his then 12-year-old grandson, Jacob. He told Mountain Scene at the time: "All communities are better if they're enriched with a deep understanding of music, and it's something the human race has always had." As Hill aged, he began to accumulate honours which reflected his lengthy and impactful career. He was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002, a member of the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2006 and was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008. In 2011 came a watershed moment when Michael Hill, jeweller, became Sir Michael, for services to business and the arts. Sport was also a passion. In the 2000s, he had had a chip-and-putt course built on his Arrowtown property, perhaps inspired by a mini-golf course he formed around his parents' garden in Whangarei which he charged the neighbourhood children to play — except at The Hills he'd host charity tournaments on it. He recalled broadcaster Mike Hosking telling him he looked forward to playing it. Embarrassed he couldn't present a better offering, Sir Michael asked course designer John Darby to add a grunty par-four. But before long, he told him, "to hell with it, let's do the whole 18, and, oh, I want it to be a championship course". Spending a huge amount on the course — Hill would not tell his wife how much — and an award-winning bunker-style clubhouse, he was then granted three years' hosting rights for the NZ Open. The course opened just in time for the 2007 Open. In 2012, The Hills staged the NZ PGA champs, adding on — at the suggestion of ex-All Blacks coach John Hart — a pro-am component. Two such events were so successful that he, along with neighbouring Millbrook, were granted hosting rights again, with that pro-am component then added to the event. In a nice touch, Sir Michael and Millbrook founder the late Eichii Ishii received the "keys to Arrowtown" before the 2015 Open. The courses continued co-hosting the event till 2020, and though The Hills hasn't been involved since, Sir Michael deserves credit for reviving the event. Meanwhile, in 2019 he'd added a par-3 nine-holer, The Farm, which he said when it opened was "possibly [his] finest achievement". Along with The Hills' development as a top-notch private course, he also turned it into a sculpture park. He was inspired not only by his son Mark being a sculptor, but also advice from friend Guenther Radler who told him: "No golf course in the world does this — it will give you an enormous point of difference". The incredible sculptural pieces, which he kept adding to, include a Chinese sculptor's statue of a warrior surrounded by 110 wolf figurines, called The Wolves are Coming, which Sir Michael had spotted in a public courtyard in China. He would open the sculpture park for fundraisers, including for his favourite charity, Cure Kids. Beyond music and golf, Sir Michael had a financial interest in an Arrowtown hospitality venture and was a prolific cartoonist. In 2019, he launched a 408-page book of his cartoons, Catch & Release: A Life of Art, Thoughts and Nonsense, and he also produced weekly cartoons for Mountain Scene for the past six years. Sir Michael always enjoyed the fun side of life and loved dressing in zany garb. His flamboyance was most on display at the closing ceremonies at his NZ Opens, where one year he appeared as a greenkeeper. He was a very fit and health-conscious individual, who meditated too, and was very proud of Christine, whom he credited for so much of his success, and children Mark and Emma. Just this March, not long after scoring his first hole-in-one, 72 years after first picking up a club, Sir Michael and Lady Christine celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary — fittingly, it was a diamond anniversary. Reflecting on his life after turning 80, he said if he hadn't bought The Hills, which had effectively become "the biggest park in the area", it would have been filled with 10-acre blocks with "all sorts of funny, unco-ordinated homes. "I think we need to be custodians for the area and look after it. We're only here for a blip, really." Sir Michael Hill died in Arrowtown on July 29, aged 86.
NZ Herald
04-08-2025
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Whangārei trust wants to offer supermarket alternative, cheaper butter
Taimahi Trust also has a long-term aim of making everything in the store available online, so customers can place orders whenever it suits them, and receive them through delivery or click-and-collect. Delivery areas cover greater Whangārei including Hikurangi, Te Kamo, Maunu and Onerahi, with plans to deliver to hubs as demand grows. Chairwoman and chief executive Rachel Hill is even looking at expanding the store's range, so it will eventually sell some cheeses and butter. With the price of butter being a hot topic at the moment, she hopes to be able to sell it for cheaper than supermarkets, while still making a small margin. 'Even though we're a charity we still want to be business-like and we also want to be cheaper than other places. It helps people with their budget and people who might be food insecure.' But Hill is conscious of working on one step at a time. Taimahi Trust operations administrator Troy Robertson, back left, and admin trainee Anton Herbert have found their calling with the trust. Photo / Denise Piper The trust previously delivered vege boxes but had to retrench this during the post-Covid downturn, before branching out again thanks to grants from the likes of the Ministry of Social Development. Resilience and fortitude are part of the story of the trust, which began as a coffee cart in 2017. Hill and Alison Faithful started the enterprise for their sons, who both have Down syndrome, and were struggling to find training and work opportunities - like many with intellectual disabilities. It has now developed into a groundbreaking training model for young people with intellectual or learning disabilities, creating a community for them, Hill said. Trainee Jordan Jennings carefully cuts ginger in Taimahi Trust's commercial kitchen, where a wide range of goodies are made. Photo / Denise Piper Taimahi Trust currently has 12 staff and 20 trainees, who often surpass what is expected of them, she said. Some have moved into supervisory roles, while others have gained paid work or further training, Hill said. 'They come here quite helpless because people have done things for them all the time - we turn it around,' she said. Hill's son Nathan is still a trainee and she, like many parents of the trainees, has noticed large changes due to the trust's holistic approach. Trainees Sweetie Loeak and Te Wairere Tepania work happily in Taimahi Trust's greenhouses. Strategic development manager James Ibell-Roberts said every time someone comes into the store or buys a product, it helps empower and upskill the trainees. 'For us, the more people coming into the store and engaging with our trainees is breaking down the social barriers or isolation that our trainees experience.' Taimahi Trust works with social enterprise Foodtogether to get affordable fresh produce, he said. 'We're about making affordable and nutritious kai - many of it grown by our trainees - making it accessible either at people's door or in store.' The store is also less overwhelming for customers who might struggle with sensory overload in a supermarket, Ibell-Roberts said. Further long-term plans include providing accommodation for trainees from wider Northland and branching out with different microenterprises. The Taimahi Fresh+ store is available at 19 Bank St or for online orders. Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
1News
29-07-2025
- 1News
Sir Michael Hill dies aged 86
Entrepreneur Sir Michael Hill, founder of Michael Hill Jeweller and a New Zealand retail legend, has died aged 86. In an NZX update today, Michael Hill International Limited announced the death of its founder. Michael Hill International Limited chairperson Rob Fyfe said the board, executive and the team expressed their deepest and sincerest condolences to Hill's family and friends. "He's been a student his whole life. Eighty-six, sitting around the board table six months ago, he was still the most curious, most open-minded, the one who was always looking for new ideas. He never had that air of 'I know it all, I'm always right'," Fyfe told 1News today. "[He was] an inspiration to me, but it's not my story - he was an inspiration to so many people." ADVERTISEMENT Fyfe said Sir Michael always had the "courage" to follow his dreams and passions, saying that was how he found success. Sir Michael Hill. (Source: Supplied) "So driven, yet so creative, whether he turned his mind to creating the best golf course or the jewellery business, or it was the violin competition. "I've never met a person like him." Sir Michael had stepped back from his business in April so he could undergo cancer treatment. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Sir Michael's aspiration, grit, and determination not only built a globally recognised brand inspired generations of Kiwi entrepreneurs to dream big. "He built a brand from scratch and gave back to the country that he loved. May he rest in peace." ADVERTISEMENT Whangārei Boys' High School, where Sir Michael attended, said it was "deeply saddened" to learn of his death. "We are proud to count Sir Michael Hill among our most distinguished alumni. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of young men at Whangārei Boys' High School to pursue excellence and make a meaningful impact." See more on Sir Michael Hill on TVNZ+ As a young man, he worked the shop floor at his uncle's jewellers in Whangārei after he tried to pursue a career as a concert violinist. According to his memoir, Sir Michael worked as a salesperson and window dresser, winning multiple awards. He later took over advertising and was promoted to store manager. In 1965, he married art teacher Christine Roe. The two met while Sir Michael was working at the store. They had two children together. After over a decade at his uncle's shop, Sir Michael attempted to buy it. ADVERTISEMENT "He wouldn't sell to me, and he didn't. So, it left me with two options. Either stay for the rest of my life or move out. And it was an easy decision," Sir Michael told 1News in 2019. In 1979, Sir Michael opened his first eponymous store just a few metres up the road from his old workplace. Sir Michael Hill and his family in front of one of one of the early stores. (Source: 1News) Over the next half a century, the business would rapidly expand, eventually growing to more than 300 stores across New Zealand, Canada and Australia, turning Sir Michael's business into a jewellery empire. 'Thrill of the chase' 'You can always find something to spend the money on. The money becomes very secondary. In fact, it has nothing to do with it. It's the thrill of the chase,' Hill said about his career. The words 'Hello, Michael Hill, jeweller' would become familiar to many Kiwis. ADVERTISEMENT Street view of the Michael Hill jewelry store at Bowman Building, Napier. (Source: Getty) He would also branch out of the jewellery business, venturing into ladies' footwear for a time. Sir Michael also wrote three books. Outside the business, Sir Michael was a lifelong runner and an enthusiastic golfer. He put a green in the front garden of his Arrowtown home, eventually expanding it with trees and bunkers, becoming several par-three holes. Over the years, it grew into an 18-hole course and golf club called The Hills. Sir Michael Hill arrives for the trophy presentation during the 2016 New Zealand Open at The Hills on March 13, 2016 in Queenstown, New Zealand. (Source: Getty) It evolved into a renowned championship course hosting the New Zealand Open several times in the late 2000s. ADVERTISEMENT While unsuccessful as a concert violinist, Sir Michael maintained a strong love for the instrument, founding the biennial Michael Hill International Violin Competition. The contest was for emerging young violinists, and the winner was awarded a large cash prize, a recording deal for international distribution, and a 'winners tour' of performances across New Zealand and Australia. In 2011, he was knighted for services to business and the arts. A few years later, he handed the reins of chairperson of the business to his daughter Emma. Sir Michael is survived by his wife, children Mark and Emma and a business that will keep his name alive. A private memorial would be held for Sir Michael in Arrowtown.
