Assid Khaleel Corban (1 February 1925 – 16 September 2018) was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

local-body politician and company director. He was the first

Mayor of Waitakere City The Mayor of Waitakere City was the head of the former municipal government of Waitakere City, New Zealand, who presided over the Waitakere City Council. The city was New Zealand's fifth largest, and was part of the Auckland Region, Auckland regio ...

and previously Mayor of the Henderson Borough Council.

Biography

Early life

Corban was descended from

Assid Abraham Corban Assid Abraham Corban (25 August 1864 – 2 December 1941) was a New Zealand pedlar, importer, viticulturist and wine-maker. He was born in Shweir, Lebanon on 25 August 1864. He founded Corbans, now one of New Zealand's oldest and largest win ...

, who emigrated in 1892 to New Zealand from

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

and in 1902 established the first commercial vineyard in New Zealand. In 1948, Assid Corban married Miriam Khouri, and the couple went on to have four children. Corban worked as an orchid grower, and as a director of Corbans Wines.

Political career

Corban was first elected as a councillor for Henderson Borough Council in 1956–1959, and again in 1965–1971. In 1971–1974, he held the position of Deputy Mayor, and he was elected Mayor of Henderson Borough Council in 1974. He held that position until the

1989 local government reforms The 1989 New Zealand local government reform was the most significant reform of local government in New Zealand in over a century. Some 850 local bodies were amalgamated into 86 local authorities, made up of regional and territorial levels. Backg ...

when Henderson became part of the newly formed

Waitakere City Waitākere City was a territorial authority in West Auckland, New Zealand; it was governed by the Waitākere City Council from 1989 to 2010. It was New Zealand's fifth-largest city, with an annual growth of about 2%. In 2010 the council was a ...

. As mayor, Corban oversaw the development of Henderson Square, a large-scale shopping centre (now known as WestCity Waitakere). In 1989, Corban was elected as the first

, winning against former

Waitemata City Waitemata City was a New Zealand city in the greater Auckland area. It was formed in 1974 from the western part of the old Waitemata County, with both the County and City taking their names from Waitemata Harbour. In 1989, when New Zealand local ...

mayor

Tim Shadbolt Sir Timothy Richard Shadbolt (born 19 February 1947) is a New Zealand politician. He was the Mayor of Invercargill and previously Mayor of Waitemata City. Early life Shadbolt was born in the Auckland suburb of Remuera in 1947. His father died ...

. He held the position for one term until 1992. He was then elected as a councillor to

1998–2001, and from 2007 to 2010. In the 2010 local elections, he successfully stood for both the Henderson-Massey Local Board and the Waitakere Licensing Trust Ward 4 – Henderson.

Community involvement

Corban was a longstanding member of the New Zealand Orchid Society and the Auckland Horticultural Council.

Honours and awards

In 1977, Corban was awarded the

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...

. In the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for services to local government and the community. In 1990, both Assid and Miriam Corban received the

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal was a commemorative medal awarded in New Zealand in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and was awarded to approximately 3,000 people. Background The New Zea ...

. Miriam Corban also was awarded the

New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal The New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993 was established by Royal Warrant on 1 July 1993. It was created to commemorate Women's suffrage in New Zealand and to recognize those New Zealand and Commonwealth citizens who had made a significant ...

in 1993, and in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours she was appointed a

Companion of the Queen's Service Order The Queen's Service Order, established by royal warrant of Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, is used to recognise "valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the pu ...

for community service.

Death

Corban died aged 93 of cancer on 16 September 2018 and was buried at

Waikumete Cemetery Waikumete Cemetery, originally Waikomiti Cemetery, is New Zealand's largest cemetery. It occupies a site of 108 hectares in Glen Eden, New Zealand, Glen Eden, Auckland, and also contains a crematorium in the south-west corner of the cemetery. His ...

in West Auckland on 25 September 2018. His wife, Miram Corban, died in 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corban, Assid 1925 births 2018 deaths Mayors of places in the Auckland Region Deputy mayors of places in New Zealand Waitakere City Councillors New Zealand people of Lebanese descent New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand justices of the peace Deaths from cancer in New Zealand Burials at Waikumete Cemetery