Bev Forrester
Bev Forrester | |
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.jpg) Forrester in 2026 | |
| Born | Beverley Riverina Price 1951 or 1952 (age 74–75) Warkworth, New Zealand |
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Jim Forrester
(m. 1986; died 1997) |
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Beverley Riverina Forrester MNZM (formerly Busch, née Price; born 1951 or 1952) is a New Zealand farmer, yarn producer and fashion designer. In 2026, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the wool and fashion industries.
Early life and career
[edit]Forrester was born into a farming family in Warkworth in 1951 or 1952.[1][2] Her parents were Ona Louisa Price (née Phillips) and Mansel Thomas Price.[3][4] She entered the New Zealand School of Occupational Therapy in 1969, and after qualifying she worked as an occupational therapist for 36 years, in hospitals in Ashburton, Templeton and Christchurch.[2][5][6][7]: 289 Her practice encompassed the range of psychiatric and physical disabilities.[2]
In 1971, she became engaged to Derek Busch from Prebbleton,[3] and they subsequently married. She remarried Jim Forrester, a sheep and beef farmer from North Canterbury in 1986 and went to live on his family farm, "Black Hills", at Hawarden.[1][2] By that time, she had already begun developing her interest in wool crafts, having purchased a flock of coloured sheep in 1977.[2]
Farming and design career
[edit]While continuing to work in occupational therapy, Bev Forrester chose to farm black and coloured sheep for the purpose of wool production, focusing on undyed wool, and sustainable processing.[5][8] After the death of her husband in 1997, Forrester continued to run their farm alone, while still working as a rural community therapist.[9][7]: 269 Forrester exhibited her wool products internationally, and launched fashion label Beverley Riverina Knitwear, which featured at New Zealand Fashion Week and internationally.[5][8] She began selling her products and knitting kits in the United Kingdom in 2007, later opening further online and physical shops, and selling in Canada and the US through distributors.[5][8] Also in 2007, she was invited to present Princess Anne with a handspun and handknitted jumper during her visit to New Zealand.[8] She lectured at the 8th World Coloured Sheep Congress in Paris in 2014.[10] In 2023 in co-ownership, she launched a crossbred wool processing manufacturing unit in South Canterbury.[5]
Forrester is an active member of Rural Women New Zealand, and was president of the Glenmark Branch. She created three RWNZ scholarships with the proceeds of a book she published in 2015, titled The Farm at Black Hills: Farming alone in the hills of Northern Canterbury.[5] She is also a member of Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and judges at international sheep shows.[5]
Forrester credits her occupational therapy training and experience for giving her management and personal skills that proved useful in her later life.[7]: 269 In 1999, she designed and built a house using earth bricks and wool insulation that followed the principles of accessible design; the house incorporated level entries, wide doors, and a kitchen and bathroom suitable for people living with disabilities.[7]: 269 The house became a model for people planning a similar build, and Forrester used money raised from tours of the house to fund wheelchairs and other equipment that was loaned to disabled people in the community.[7]: 269–270
Honours and awards
[edit]Forrester was awarded the Her Business Network Award at the NZ Businesswoman of the Year awards in 2003.[11] She has participated in the Qifa Wool Awards in China, and was awarded a Rural Women New Zealand Enterprising Women Award in 2011.[11][2] She was one of eight designers worldwide invited to participate in a fashion event in Italy in 2020, but the event did not happen due to COVID-19.[11] Forrester was awarded the New Zealand Century Farm and Station Award in 2006 and again in 2021.[5]
In the 2026 New Year Honours, Forrester was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the wool and fashion industries.[5]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "The farming fast five: Beverley Forrester". Stuff. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Beverley Forrester". Penguin Books New Zealand. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Engagements announced". The Press. Vol. 111, no. 32673. 31 July 1971. p. 7. Retrieved 9 May 2026 – via Papers Past.
- ↑ "Ona Price obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 29 February 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (license statement/permission). Text taken from New Year Honours List 2026 - Citations for Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. - ↑ "Forrester, Beverley R, 1951?–". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gordon, Beth; Riordan, Sunny; Scaletti, Rowena; Creighton, Noeline (2009). Legacy of Occupation: Stories of Occupational Therapy in New Zealand 1940–1972. Takapuna: Bush Press. ISBN 978-0-908608-98-0.
- 1 2 3 4 "Black Hills' colourful past and future". Stuff. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "Champion of wool". Radio New Zealand. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Bristow, Robyn (28 January 2026). "A career woven in coloured wool". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Bristow, Robyn (31 August 2022). "A showcase of wool and fashion". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
External links
[edit]- Radio New Zealand interview with Beverley Forrester after her farm was isolated during the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake
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