Honorary Dog-torate

Dame Lynley Dodd and her iconic creation, Hairy Maclary, have been acknowledged with an honorary doctorate from the University of Waikato.

The conferral took place at Mills Reef Winery near Tauranga on November 11, in front of family and friends and university staff.

Dame Lynley was presented with her honorary doctorate by Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford and Chancellor Jim Bolger. A toy version of Hairy Maclary, wearing his own gown and trencher, was also presented to Dame Lynley, along with a citation just for Hairy Maclary.

Dame Lynley, who is Tauranga-based, is internationally acclaimed and has sold more than nine million books during her career. She has written 32 books in total, writing and illustrating one a year.

Prof Crawford said at the conferral that it was a great honour to present an award to someone who is such a well-loved and household name. Her books, designed to be read out-loud, are studied at university in language and literacy papers.

Also at the conferral were the winners of a Tauranga schools competition to design a friend for Hairy Maclary. The winning creation was Louis the Tui from Mt Maunganui.

 

RECOGNITION
From left, University of Waikato Chancellor Jim Bolger, Tony Dodd, Dame Lynley Dodd and Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford.
Photo: Myles McInnes.