Keith Wilson Hay - CBE

1 Nov

Keith Hay started a caravan-building business in Auckland in 1938. He turned to home renovation and the relocation of derelict buildings, a business that thrived after World War II.

He built his first transportable house in 1949 and soon after formed Keith Hay Homes, which pioneered the use of pine in pre-fabricated low-cost houses.

The company, based in Mt Roskill, Auckland, spread throughout the country, and by 2006 had built some 20,000 houses.

Hay was active in the community and the Presbyterian Church as well as being a generous benefactor. From 1953-74, he was mayor of Mt Roskill, and was elected four times to the Auckland Regional Council.