A noted dancer and grand old man of the Auckland gay community was farewelled this morning after his death on Friday, aged 93. Speakers at today's service remembered Harold (Hal) Robinson as gutsy, sensitive, with a highly-developed personal style and a zest for life. His acid tongue was mentioned several times as being "so sharp you could cut a hedge with it at 20 metres," yet he was also "a good friend in need" who approached everything he did with passion and drama. Longtime carer Harry Tawhai Many in the chapel were surprsed to hear that Robinson had been for a time a song and dance man at London's notorious Windmill Theatre. A number of his Auckland dance students spoke and a farewell dance was performed. Anecdotes from his Dunedin childhood highlighted a very early sense of theatricality and budding talent for theatre, music and dance.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 13th March 2012 - 1:05pm