Style: June 04, 2021

22 Style | Feature
A legacy, built on creating communities, because that
is what they love to do. Together.
“Lilly wanted to turn it [The Colombo] into a Dress-Smart,
but I was like, ‘We’ve got to house the people. There is no
more retail – the [central] city is a red zone and we need to
create space not far from it.’
“We need to stick together – people needed to be
together to experience that human interaction,” says Caroline
emphatically.
It was, she says, all about building community – and one
that endures over time.
THE BREAK AND A NEW PROJECT
After The Colombo, Caroline cared for her father Johnny
in his final years out at Akaroa, while she opened a small
hospitality business and did her consulting work from there.
It was while she was working with Selwyn District Council
that the town centre project came about. Lilly had just
finished her cancer treatment, so Caroline had a thought.
“I rang her and said, ‘Do you want to do this?’ and she said,
‘Absolutely,’” They pitched and got the job.
“So we signed up for another five to 10 years together,”
says Caroline with a grin. But 10 years on from The
Colombo, it is a different type of partnership.
“The Rolleston town centre is a bigger development but it
feels less stressful for us because we’ve had all that learning of
working together.
“Dad’s passing taught us to be gentler with each other. We
have a lot more patience to really enjoy this development.”
Lilly says the reason the partnership works is because there
is the cohesion of generational knowledge.
“It’s the old and young thing – it’s amazing. Her strengths
are my weaknesses, and my weaknesses are her strengths.”
An example is how Caroline has taught Lilly about a wellbalanced
life.
“She’s a great one at balancing her life, so I’m learning
that. I’m much older and we didn’t have that when we were
younger – we would just work, work, work,” says Lilly.
Caroline’s eyes flick up. She has seen her next meeting
arrive. She sets off with an easy stride and a full, genuine smile
to greet them.
“She has the three Fs,” observes Lilly. “She’s focused, she’s
friendly and she’s firm.”
So they’re off. They have a town centre to build together.
A legacy, built on creating communities, because that is what
they love to do. Together.
ABOVE FROM LEFT: Rolleston Fields is the latest project for Lilly and Caroline. The $85 million retail and hospitality town centre in Selwyn will have a
retail precinct, with bars and eateries plus an entertainment and cinema complex; The Colombo is known for its boutique stores. Photos: Supplied