Deirdre Airey (1926 - 2002) was the local doctor in Coromandel for 25 years. Inspired by some early relief tiles by her friend Barry Brickell, she started working in clay for recreation and as a means for expressing her interest in religious art. Dr Airey's work is in churches, in private and public collections and has been purchased by the National Gallery of New Zealand.

The Friends of Deirdre Airey aim to collect information about the woman and her work, which they make available via this website.