Former Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh appointed as director of the Ulster New Zealand Trust

Over the past three decades the Trust has developed the Ballance House museum, event centre and tea barn at Lisburn Road, Glenavy on the home farm of John Ballance.

As NZ Premier 1892-93 this liberal Ulsterman ensured New Zealand was the first nation to extend the franchise to women.

A native of Co Londonderry, Brian Bloomfield attended Limavady Grammar School before graduating from Queen’s University Belfast.

Then followed a post grad year at Aberystwyth University College, Wales after which he became qualified to teach both geography and PE.

Returning to his native heath Brian taught at Methodist College Belfast for 20 years until appointed Vice-Principal at Wallace High School, Lisburn. A post held from 1988 until 2008.

He was very active as a rugby coach both at school, reaching two Schools Cup Finals, and at Club level and was much involved in Coach Education. He also served as Senior Ulster Coach 1993 – 1995 and in 2009 was awarded an MBE for services to rugby.

In 2011 he entered Local Government and served two terms as an Ulster Unionist Party Councillor for Lisburn North, becoming Mayor for the year 2016-17.

It was a year greatly enjoyed by Brian and his wife of 50 years, Rosalind, a former special needs teacher. The Mayor’s chosen Charity, Tinylife, benefited by just over £97,000. During their year in office there were many opportunities to meet with volunteer groups in communities across the Council area.

With two of a family, Clare and Jonathan, Brian and Rosalind became grandparents in 2015 with the arrival of their first of four grandchildren.

The new director of the UNZT became involved with the team of volunteers at The Ballance House while serving on the Council.

Brian has links with New Zealand as far back as the 1950s when relations of his father emigrated from Downpatrick to New Zealand. Of course one of New Zealand’s other NI born Premiers, William Massey, came from Brian Bloomfield’s home town of Limavady.