Irwin Lloyd Esler (born 1957) is a New Zealand natural history teacher and former

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

City Councillor. After studying botany at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

and education at

Otago Polytechnic Otago Polytechnic was a public New Zealand tertiary education institute, centred in Dunedin with additional campuses in Cromwell and Auckland. Otago Polytechnic provided career-focused education and training, offering a range of New Zealand accr ...

, Esler worked at the

Otago Museum Tūhura Otago Museum is located in the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand. It is adjacent to the University of Otago campus in Dunedin North, 1,500 metres northeast of the city centre. It is one of the city's leading attractions and has one of t ...

from 1978 to 1986. He then taught at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery from 1991 to 2001. Esler unsuccessfully ran for Invercargill City Council in 1992, garnering only 3,641 votes and coming 26th. He made it onto the council in 2010 and rose up the ranks with each subsequent election, being the second highest polling councillor in 2016. Esler did not run for re-election in 2019, instead running for the

Environment Southland The Southland Regional Council is the southernmost Regions of New Zealand, regional council in New Zealand, administering the Southland Region, including Stewart Island. In 2006, it had an operating revenue of NZ$19.6 million, NZ$7.1 million of t ...

council and topping the poll. He did not run for re-election in 2022. Esler was awarded the

Queen's Service Medal The Queen's Service Medal is a medal awarded by the government of New Zealand to recognise and reward volunteer service to the community and also public service in elected or appointed public office. It was established in 1975 and is related to ...

in the

2009 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2009 were announced on 31 December 2008 in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Christopher and Nevis,Saint Christopher. to ...

for services to the community.

References

1957 births Living people Invercargill City Councillors Southland regional councillors New Zealand educators Recipients of the Queen's Service Medal {{NewZealand-historian-stub