Background
Woollaston was born in Motueka to New Zealand artist Sir Mountford Tosswill Woollaston and Edith Winifred Alexander.
Woollaston was born in Motueka to New Zealand artist Sir Mountford Tosswill Woollaston and Edith Winifred Alexander.
Woollaston attended Greymouth Main Primary School and Cobden Primary School. While his parents were overseas he attended Street Andrew"s College in Christchurch (1958-1962) as a boarder. He graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Science in physics (1971) and Christchurch Teachers" College with a Diploma in Teaching (1971).
Woollaston taught at Linwood High School (1972-1974), lectured at the University of Canterbury (1975), and taught at both Collingwood District High School (1976-1977) and Collingwood Area School (1977-1980) before embarking on a political career. In 1974, Woollaston was awarded the Rutherford Trophy for Demonstrations in Physics by the New Zealand Institute of Physics, for his demonstration of linear dynamics. Woollaston joined the New Zealand Labour Party in 1975.
He was Secretary of the Labour Party Policy Council from 1982 to 1984.
He was a Golden Bay County Councillor and on the Nelson Regional Airport Authority from 1977 to 1980. Woollaston was also on the Nelson Bays United Council and Number 11 District Roads Board from 1979 to 1980.
Woollaston stood for the Nelson electorate in 1981, defeating incumbent Member of Parliament Mel Courtney. During his time in Parliament he was Associate Minister for the Environment (1987-1989), Associate Minister of Justice (1987-1990), Minister assisting the Deputy Prime Minister (1988-1990), Minister of Conservation (1989-1990), and Minister of Local Government (1990).
Woollaston was a junior Minister in the controversial Fourth Labour Governments of David Lange & Geoffrey Palmer but never sought at the time (through resignation or public opposition) to distance himself from the Rogernomics policies of that era.
In 1990 Woollaston retired from Parliament and was replaced as Member of Parliament for Nelson by John Blincoe. In 1991 he became Policy Advisor to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya for two years. Following his return to New Zealand, Woollaston stood for and became of Nelson from 1992 to 1998.
He was defeated by Paul Matheson in 1998.
In 2015 Woollaston ceased being a director of the Woollaston Estates winery (renamed Mahana Estates) with Glenn Schaeffer when he was sued for $3.5 million for making false representations regarding shareholdings in the winery (Nelson Mail).
He was Member of Parliament for Nelson from 1981 to 1990 and of Nelson from 1992 to 1998. On 6 December 1990, he was granted the title "The Honourable" for life, in recognition of his services as a member of the Executive Council.