Who we are

Sheila originally moved to Island Bay in 2009 and enjoyed 5 years just off Severn Street.  Work and medical training took her off to Toronto for a year and on her return, she headed to Southgate Road where she has lived since.  She describes this as living in a tiny bit of paradise! Sheila is an anaesthetist at Wellington Regional Hospital. She has worked there since coming to Wellington, initially to finish her training and then as a Senior Medical Officer. She is the Clinical Director of the Department of Anaesthesia.
In her spare time, she enjoys keeping active on 2 feet or 2 wheels, enjoying the wealth of beautiful countryside that Wellington and NZ have to offer. You will also see her wandering the streets of the bay and surrounding areas with her wee pups! Sheila is passionate about creating a connected community – a connected community is a strong community. She hopes to help grow the relationships in the community of Island Bay and Southgate as the chair of the Residents’ Association Committee, bringing her values of fairness, inclusiveness and transparency that serve her well in her professional life. 

Kia ora koutou, ko Sonya Cameron ahau. I have lived on Dee Street for more than 10 years. I love living in Island Bay for its village atmosphere, beautiful beach and bushwalks close to the city. I work for the Salvation Army looking after its foodbanks nationwide and leading a food security strategy. I have been on the committee for 2-3 years and have worked to support Island Bay as a strong and inclusive community that welcomes a diversity of views.

Mark has lived locally with his family since 2009 and loves being part of this community. As Priest in Charge at St Hilda’s Anglican Church, he leads a team to serve the local parish, encouraging engagement and participation. He coordinates the chaplaincy team at Massey University Wellington and studies theology at Otago University. As a nurse, Mark’s current work focuses on clinical education for intensive care environments, particularly with ventilators and patient monitoring. Mark supports his wife Gillian’s music, with gigs and recording.

My family moved to Island Bay in 1974. Over the years, I’ve also lived in other parts of Wellington, before returning to live in my family’s Island Bay home three years ago. I have found the friendliness of the Island Bay community heartwarming and the natural beauty that we are surrounded with inspiring.

I completed a degree with majors in psychology and sociology and then did both paid and unpaid work in the community. Later I became a researcher at Statistics NZ and mostly worked developing questionnaires for large social, economic and business surveys. At Stats, I also worked with the Christchurch City Council to develop their Annual Survey of Residents. More recently, I cared for my elderly parents full-time for 5 years, worked with older adults in the community, and completed a degree in counselling and addiction practice.

I am standing for the Island Bay Resident’s Association because I care, and because I’d like to contribute to making Island Bay an even better place to live, work and play. I’d like to see the Wellington City Council do the basics, and do the basics well. I’d also like residents and businesses views and ideas to be heard, represented, and seriously considered in decisions made about Island Bay. Finally, I’d like our community to be as inclusive and user friendly as possible, particularly for older adults and people with disabilities.

I am Sharon Newman and I have lived in Island Bay for the past 44 years.
My childhood home was on The Parade and my late father was a fisherman for many years in the Bay.  I attended Island Bay School, St Marks Church School and St Catherine’s College.
I am married to my husband Sal who grew up in Island Bay and together we run a small plumbing business and I am an Insurance Manager.  
I am very passionate about Island Bay and the South Coast.  I spent alot of childhood at the beach, Shorland Park and Princess Bay.
In my spare time, I spend time with my family, and I always have a home project on the go, I am a keen cook and I love to walk the South Coast. 

Kirsten has called Island Bay home since 2015, after buying her first home in the Village. She was told by the agent: “you’ll never want to leave” and has definitely found that to be true. The strong community feel and amenities on the doorstep make Island Bay a very special place to live. 

As an anaesthetist, Kirsten is a strong proponent of enabling people to live healthy and active lifestyles. An avid trail runner, her happy places are the many beautiful trails Wellington has to offer. 

You may also see her out and about at Manawa Karioi supporting Predator Free Wellington in their efforts to restore the native bird population. 

Alex has lived in Island Bay since 2011 with her husband and two children. She originally moved to Wellington as a student, before spending a few years living in Australia and traveling the world. Their whānau were Playcentre members for 6 years while the kids were young, before they went on to flourish at Island Bay School.

Alex loves our creative, kind community and is grateful to have nature at our doorstep with Paekawakawa, Manawa Karioi and Taputeranga Marine Reserve. She regularly swims to the island with a local swim squad!

Alex looks forward to being part of the IBRA, to listen and learn from diverse voices within our community. She enjoys connecting with council, local groups and businesses and is interested in community engagement and events.
Alex works as the marketing and communications manager at Kaibosh, a food rescue charity serving the Greater Wellington Region, which has connections to several local community groups in South Wellington.

Kirsty lives in Island Bay Taputeranga with her partner and two teenage children. Home for over twenty years, the attractions of living in the bay remain the same – the rugged coast and beach, bush clad hills, a lively community and close proximity to the central city. Kirsty is excited to
contribute to the ongoing development of Island Bay that strikes a balance between its multiple histories and the need to adapt to a more sustainable future.
Kirsty looks forward to contributing to the IBRR as it works to foster a connected and inclusive community.

Iliesa Tora is a Fijian and he has just moved to Island Bay with his family in April this year. His wife’s is Nate and their son is called Samu. Samu is 12 years old and attends SWISS. He also now plays club Rugby for Ories Magpies. They lived in Tonga for 11 years before coming to Wellington.

Iliesa is a journalist by profession and works for Radio New Zealand.

In Tonga he was the president of the community in Nuku’alofa. He is also a laypreacher with the Fijian Methodist church.

He also loves coaching sports such as rugby, touch rugby, rugby league and boxing.

Iliesa believes in helping our community wherever he lives thus his interest in being a member of the Island Bay Residents’ Association Committee.