Broadcaster, writer, and environmental advocate Tim Higham has died at home on Aotea Great Barrier Island, surrounded by whānau, after a period of ill health.
His son Harry Higham announced the news in a message that sparked an immediate outpouring of grief from across the island and beyond.
“He absolutely loved this island and all of its beautiful people,” Harry wrote. “As much as we are devastated, we feel as though he is at peace after a very hard battle.”
Tim moved to the island more than 20 years ago with his then-partner Julie-Anne, after what he once described as an unexpected encounter with a house in the bush. “When we sat on the lawn, it seemed to have this almost archetypal quality,” he recalled in a 2021 interview. “It had thick walls… it seemed to have existed before me, yet it was familiar. I kind of wanted to live there.”
From that base, he would go on to spend decades contributing to the intellectual and environmental life of the island. His Island Stories podcast on Aotea FM became a fixture of island life—an oral archive of local characters, concerns and philosophies, told slowly and with care. As one listener wrote this week, “he spent his precious time sharing everyone else’s stories—what an incredible legacy.”
In 2023, he launched Small Island Big Ideas, a short-form podcast showcasing the island’s growing network of regenerative businesses and sustainable initiatives. He also helped found the Aotea Writers Festival and worked with Predator Free 2050, the Department of Conservation, the UN Environment Programme and the Hauraki Gulf Forum.
Though often associated with policy and science, Tim increasingly turned inward in his final years. His 2021 book Island Notes was a meditation on loss, stillness and the importance of staying present in a time of ecological upheaval.
He believed the island itself was a kind of teacher. “It’s got a set of amazing businesses that have sprung up in tune with the biophysical limits and community dynamics. It’s a dark sky sanctuary. Everyone’s off-grid.” he told RNZ in 2021.
He is survived by his children, Harry and his sisters, who’ve each worked in conservation. Julie-Anne also remains part of the Aotea community.
Tim will lie at his home on Thursday and Friday for those who wish to say goodbye. A service will be held Sunday morning, with further details to come.
Ko te kai a te rangatira he kōrero.
