Mary Inomata is one of Mt Albert’s great go-to people. She rolls up her sleeves and gets things done. Mary, a driving force in the Mt Albert Historical Society, married Hisashi in Fukuoka in 1963 and is the proud mum of Kane and Aimee (and grandson Gabriel). Her other baby is Toby, the family’s “spoilt rotten” West Highland white terrier “who believes we are his servants”.
So how did you get to Mt Albert – and tell us about your childhood
My family moved to Mt Albert when I was 10. Reading, ballet and animals were my passions. I was the only child in a large family of adults.
Your first job?
And also my favourite employer ever – with old Mr Sydney Eady in Queen Street. A caring but pragmatic man.
The most uplifting moment of your life?
The day I meet my husband Hisashi (the couple are pictured here on their wedding day in 1963). I knew the moment I met him that I would spend the rest of my life with him.
The saddest?
When my grandson was diagnosed with severe autism, aged three
Things you’ve learnt about life that you will take to your grave?
It never turns out as you hope and plan but you need to accept and deal with whatever life throws at you.
What’s made you very proud?
I am proud that NZ Swimming selected my husband as NZ Commonwealth and Olympics Games head coach as well as national coach on his ability and did not discriminate that he was Japanese, albeit naturalized. Our family dedicated a lot for him to reach that point.
What makes you damned angry?
Cruelty to animals and children
What could you not do without?
My family, which includes Toby
The thing you have always wanted to crack but haven’t yet managed?
I’d love to be able to draw as my husband can but it’s just not in the genes. My daughter bewails the fact that in this instance she has inherited my non-drawing gene as well.
Who are the people you most look up to?
Alice Wylie. She has taught me so much about working for the good of the community and I admire the way that even at 93 she still cares. Also Archie Milton, my godfather. He was the nearest thing I had to a father and it was the second saddest thing that ever happened in my life when he died of a heart attack when I was 22. (Picture shows Mary with Alice Wylie and fellow community volunteer Tony Mayes.)
What personal frailty (in others) do you most detest?
Refusing to take responsibility for your own life and not being accountable for your own actions.
What about yourself – do you have flaws you wish weren’t part of your make-up?
Everyone that knows me will tell you I have very little tact. I can be judgemental, though I do try to work on that and I have become less so as I have got older. And of course my husband will tell you that in his opinion my biggest flaw is my lack of interest in and ability to cook well.
The dream holiday if money was no object?
When younger I would have said to sail in a luxury yacht around the world. But now I would settle for river cruises anywhere
What about that magic dinner party – who would share your table?
Tolkien, Jane Austen, Daphne Du Maurier, Gerald Durrell, David Shearer, my mother-in-law (she died before I married my husband and I would love to have asked her about him when he was a small boy) .
What would be on the menu?
Thinking only of myself, it would be sashimi, crayfish, many different salads, roasted vegetables and most importantly dessert (lots of it). I have always promised myself that one day I would start with dessert and go backwards. I’m thinking time is getting on and I must do it soon.
And the music in the background?
Mozart, Vivaldi, Bach and Gregorian chants
What about books and writers – what/who will stay in your mind until your dying day?
Well Tolkien of course – Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Agatha Christie, Jane Austen and Daphne Du Maurier; Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series and Robin Hobb.
Your favourite movies?
I’m not a great movie-goer but it would have to be Lord Of the Rings (but definitely NOT The Hobbit!)
Watch much television? Favourite shows?
My most favourite TV programme of all time was Pride and Prejudice (1995). Mostly I prefer English productions, preferably murder mysteries like Midsomer Murders, Lewis, and more recently Hinterland. Currently enjoying Versailles for its costumes and attention to detail (even though historically it’s a load of rubbish).
What are your biggest concerns for the future?
I fear the loss of a caring, community-minded Mt Albert. In many ways we were spoilt by our Mt Albert City Council prior to amalgamation in 1989. They were so good we became complacent and thought the care would continue under the new Auckland Council. We allowed our democratic rights and power to be usurped. We all now know how we were virtually ignored for the next 20 years (though we brought more assets and cash to the new council than any other suburb) and yet we didn’t get angry enough to do anything about it and demand our democratic rights. However, because of changing demographics in Mt Albert, I have more hope that this new generation of residents will be able to hold onto community values and improve them.
What do you particularly like about Mt Albert… and/or hate?
Mt Albert has always been a laid-back, easy-going friendly place to live in. No airs and graces but genuine concern for the community. Handy to most things and places.
If money was no object, what would you spend it on to make Mt Albert a better place?
A swimming pool, plenty of reserves and a new large library.
