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News | 16 July 2021
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20 Twenty One: Celebrating our people

It’s 2021, so we’re sharing stories about 21 of our people who have worked at Council for 20 years or more.

From librarians to road workers, lifeguards to engineers, cemetery technicians to gardeners – it’s fair to say that the Wellington City Council team covers many corners of Aotearoa’s capital city.

And it may come as a surprise to some that currently 120 people working for the Council have been in the organisation for 20, 40, and in a couple of cases, almost 60 years.

We want to celebrate these special staff members – for their loyalty, for their unique skills and experience, and ultimately for their dedication and commitment to serving Pōneke and its people.

That’s why we launched 20 Twenty One: Celebrating Our People, a series of 21 profiles highlighting valued team members who have been working at the Council for 20 years or more.

Check them all out below. 

A photo Raewyn in a blue top standing in front of a library shelf full of books.

Raewyn Lubranksy –Librarian

She’s been to 52 countries in all seven continents, always has three books on the go, and knows how to host a cracking Christmas party. Meet Raewyn Lubransky, our loyal librarian of 23 years.

Read more about Raewyn

A portrait of Bernice Dickie, a librarian of 60 years, framed in a polaroid with the 20 Twenty One logo, as part of a Wellington City Council profile series that celebrates staff who have been with the organisation for 20 or more years.

Bernice Dickie - Librarian

She was a key player in the aftermath of the Central Library closure and has had a rugby season ticket since the stadium opened. Get to know our loyal librarian who’s been serving the city for almost 60 years.

Read more about Bernice

Portrait of Logen Logeswaran with 20 Twenty One logo.

Logen Logeswaran – Engineer

Logen Logeswaran remembers well his first day at Wellington City Council.

It was 17 February, 1994, and the engineer was in for a surprise, being taken out on a site visit to a busy intersection.

Read more about Logen

A polaroid photo of Wellington City Council's Pita King, from the Transport and Infrastructure team, in his high-vis vest in the CBD on The Terrace.

Pita King – Contract Manager

In four decades working at Wellington City Council, Pita King has seen every corner and crevice of our city. And he still gets a kick out of helping people.

Read more about Pita

Julie Sleep smiling in a white top with a cafe behind her, pictured in a polaroid with the words 20 Twenty One: Celebrating our people.

Julie Sleep - Public Health

Having joined Wellington City Council just before the turn of the century, Julie Sleep has a wealth of knowledge in the public health sector and the benefits of the Pathways to Employment programme.

Read more about Julie

A portrait of Neil Price wearing black-framed glasses, and a dark shirt with small white flowers, in a polaroid frame that has the words 20 Twenty One, Celebrating Our People.

Neil Price - Photographer

He’s observed a town transform into a city, worked alongside seven mayors, and snapped images of the Queen – Neil Price has seen it all and has four million or more photos to prove it. Meet Wellington city’s official photographer who's been on the job for 34 years and counting.

Read more about Neil

Portrait of Michael Arthurs with the 20 Twenty One series yellow logo.

Michael Arthurs - Building Officer

During six decades of Council work, Michael Arthurs has seen incredible change across the city he knows like the back of his hand.

Read more about Michael

Dave Jackson, Wellington City Council's long-time lawn mower and sportsground caretaker, pictured waist up in a green jersey and orange high-vis vest, smiling, shaved head, with blurred green sportsground behind.

Dave Jackson - Sportsfield Technician

He’s sports mad – so what better job to have than looking after the city’s sportsfields?

Read more about Dave

A smiling man, Bruce Tan, wearing glasses and a blue and white chequered shirt, with an ANZAC poppy pinned to it. He stands with his arms behind his back on Oriental Bay, pictured waist up, inside a yellow and white polaroid frame that says 20 Twenty One: celebrating our people.

Bruce Tan - Engineer

Wellington is a world away from Ipoh, Malaysia, but it’s where Poh (Bruce) Tan came to forge his path to the Council.

Read more about Bruce

A smiling woman with short brown hair who looks to be wet, standing outside in amongst green bush wearing a bright orange high-vis waterproof jacket, framed in a polaroid with the words 20 Twenty One celebrating our people written on it.

Anita Benbrook - Biodiversity Specialist

When asked how Wellington has changed over the years, Anita Benbrook doesn’t hesitate. “It’s a lot greener than it used to be.”

Read more about Anita

A man with short hair and a white goatee and moustache, siting in a V-neck navy blue jumper with a white shit collar poking out, in front of a computer, with glass windows and city scape behind, pictured in a polaroid-shaped frame.

Bill Stevens - Resource Consents Team Leader

Meet Bill Stevens – biker, rocker, and our Resource Consents Team Leader.

Read more about Bill

Annabelle Atkins with black hair tied up behind her head, wearing a black top and black-framed reading glasses, in front of a colourful photo of people at a city park by the ocean. Pictured in a polaroid frame with the words 20 Twenty One: Celebrating our people.

Annabelle Atkins - Building, Compliance and Consents

As the old saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun – so Annabelle Atkins must have been having her fair share as she has no idea where the past 21 years have gone.

Read more about Annabelle

Wendi Henderson wearing a black beanie and jumper with an orange high-vis vest on top, tilting her head down towards the long grass in which she is standing and is pictured out of focus.

Wendi Henderson - Operations Manager, Parks and Gardens.

She's a former captain of the Football Ferns and earned 64 caps – including appearances at two FIFA World Cups. She scored 28 international goals during a glittering career – but at the same time she’s risen from an apprenticeship to help steer Parks, Sport and Rec. Now Wendi’s job is to keep us all safe and secure.

Read more about Wendi

A smiling middle-aged pakeha man wearing a tidy blue shirt, pictured in a polaroid with the words '20 Twenty One: Celebrating our People' printed on the bottom left.

Adrian Humphris - Team Leader, City Archives.

As our staff look back on their long tenures at Wellington City Council, there’s probably no one better to ask about their history than Adrian Humphris, our Team Leader, City Archives.

Read more about Adrian