Terence ‘Terry’ Kayes was born and raised in Auckland and graduated from the University of Auckland first with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) and then Master of Engineering (Soil Mechanics), before starting his Geotechnical Engineering career in Australia with Coffey & Hollingsworth in 1968.
One of the first major projects Terry worked on was the Tom Price Paraburdoo Railway. In 1970, he joined Rendell Palmer & Tritton in London, working on projects like the Thames River Barrier. Terry returned to New Zealand in 1972, taking up the offer from Tonkin & Taylor to join them in Auckland. From early work on subdivisions in Pakuranga, Terry quickly moved onto bigger projects such as site investigation for the Huntly Power Station and the Aniwhenua Hydro Project. A shift to the Wellington office as partner followed, where Terry led the (Stuart) Macaskill Lakes, Te Mārua, project to provide water supply to the capital. Among a busy project load, Terry joined the board of the Consulting Engineers Advancement Society (CEAS) where he served for over 35 years.
Terry returned to the action of Auckland after seven years, stepping into the role of Director of Operations. After the retirements of founders Ralph Tonkin and Don Taylor, and the global financial crisis of 1987, Terry was appointed Managing Director of Tonkin & Taylor in 1988. Learning quickly on the job, Terry lead the company through the broadening of shareholding and the appointment of external Chairmen – ushering in a transformative time for the business and navigating them into busy years ahead. As a leader, Terry became passionate about people growth, seeing this as a key to success for the company. So, when he stepped down as Managing Director in 2006, Terry started his own consultancy and mentoring programme. He held a position on the advisory board for the University of Auckland Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 2000 until 2019 and worked with the New Zealand Leadership Institute at the University of Auckland Business School 2006 to 2010.
In addition to a busy career, Terry served as Honorary Consul for Malayasia in Auckland from 1997 to 2006. He was an avid marathon runner and part of the chorus for Opera New Zealand Auckland from 1997 to 2015. He has also been a member of the North Shore Male Choir for several years. After being recruited to the Epsom Girls’ Grammar Board of Trustees (1995 to 2002), Terry was approached to serve on various Boards of Directors, including Watercare Services (2007 to 2010), Waterfront Auckland Development Agency (2010 to 2015) and Westhaven Marina (2010 to 2019). Through these roles he contributed to key projects for Auckland city, such as sorting water supply from Waikato River, the expansion of the waterfront development and Wynyard Quarter, and the expansion of Westhaven Marina.
Terry has received several notable awards, becoming a Fellow of IPENZ in 1996, the Turner Award for Professional Commitment in 2007, being made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2020, and most recently, becoming a Distinguished Fellow of Engineering New Zealand in 2025. Since then, Terry has taken on a role chairing Investigating Committees for Engineering New Zealand.
Access
This oral history is held at the Auckland Council Libraries.
Date of Interview: 2026
