A resident of Manapouri for more than forty years, Irene has played an active role in the community, initially because of her parental involvement in the local schools and later as a local government representative. In addition to bringing up their five children, Irene also worked alongside her husband during the years he operated his own charter boat tour guide business in Doubtful Sound. Latterly, as well as local government issues she was also a representative on the Guardians of the Fiordland Fisheries, an organisation which formed a mandate for sustainable fishing and use of the waters around Fiordland and the south coast of New Zealand. During this interview, Irene talks about her early years growing up in Bluff, the move and first few years in Manapouri and her involvement in local politics.