Frana Grace Cardno (née Srhoy, 29 January 1941 – 23 April 2015) was a New Zealand local-body politician. She served as Mayor of Southland District from 1992 until 2013, becoming the longest-serving female mayor in New Zealand's history.

Early life and family

Born in

Hokitika Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District. The town's estimated population is as of ...

on New Zealand's

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

in 1941, Cardno was the daughter of a Croatian immigrant, Anthony Srhoy, and his wife Lilian Caroline (née Honey). Cardno moved to

Mid Canterbury Mid Canterbury (also spelt Mid-Canterbury and mid-Canterbury) is a traditional, semi-official subregion of New Zealand's Canterbury Region extending inland from the Pacific coast to the Southern Alps. It is one of four traditional sub-regions of C ...

as a young child, and attended Lowcliffe School. She became a kindergarten teacher. After marrying Murray Cardno in the late 1960s she moved to

Te Anau Te Anau is a town in the Southland region of the South Island of New Zealand. In Maori, Te-Anau means the Place of the Swirling Waters. It is on the eastern shore of Lake Te Anau in Fiordland. Te Anau is 155 kilometres north of Invercargill an ...

. The couple had three sons and adopted a daughter.

Political career

Cardno served on the Te Anau Community Board for 11 years, and then three years as a

Southland District Southland District is a Districts of New Zealand, territorial authority district in New Zealand that covers the south of the South Island as well as Stewart Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura. History Southland District was formed through the 1989 lo ...

councillor, before being elected mayor of Southland District in 1992. She retired from that role in October 2013 prior to that year's

local elections In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct vary ...

, and was New Zealand's longest-serving female mayor ever. She was a strong opponent to the proposed Fiordland Monorail, which was rejected by the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

in 2014. In 1993, Cardno 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 the 2001 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 public services. Cardno was made a

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ren ...

for services to local government in the 2014 New Year Honours. Cardno was diagnosed with

bile duct cancer Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts. Symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma may include abdominal pain, yellowish skin, weight loss, generalized itching, and fever. Light colored stool ...

in June 2014 and was given four months to live. She had fallen ill while visiting her son and family in the United States. She died at her home in Te Anau on 23 April 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardno, Frana 1941 births 2015 deaths People from Hokitika New Zealand people of Croatian descent Mayors of places in Southland, New Zealand Women mayors of places in New Zealand Companions of the Queen's Service Order Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit Deaths from cancer in New Zealand Deaths from cholangiocarcinoma Recipients of the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993 New Zealand justices of the peace