Robin Duff

Born and raised in Hastings, Duff was educated at Hastings Boys' High School.^[1] He then studied at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, and became a secondary school teacher.^[2] He began teaching at Burnside High School in 1973 and was New Zealand's first openly gay secondary school teacher.^[2] His pupils included future prime minister John Key and media commentator Russell Brown.^[2]

While at university, Duff became involved in gay activism, forming the University of Canterbury Gay Activists Society with Lindsay Taylor,^[3] and helping to launch Gay Liberation Christchurch, both in 1972.^[2] He also joined the Values Party and stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for Christchurch Central at the 1975 and 1978 general elections, becoming the first openly gay parliamentary candidate in New Zealand.^[3][4][5]

Duff was also active in the Post Primary Teachers' Association, serving as its junior vice-president between 2005 and 2007, president from 2007 to 2009 and 2011 to 2013, and senior vice-president between 2009 and 2011 and from 2013 until his death in Christchurch in 2015.^[6]