Woollaston taught at Linwood High School, lectured at the University of Canterbury, and taught at both Collingwood District High School and Collingwood Area School 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.
Political career
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 No 11 District Roads Board from 1979 to 1980. Woollaston stood for the Nelson electorate in 1981, defeating incumbent MP Mel Courtney. During his time in Parliament he was Associate Minister for the Environment, Associate Minister of Justice, Minister assisting the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Conservation, and Minister of Local Government. Woollaston was a junior Minister in the controversial Fourth Labour Governments of David Lange & Geoffrey Palmer but never sought at the time to distance himself from the Rogernomics policies of that era. In 1990 Woollaston retired from Parliament and was replaced as MP for Nelson by John Blincoe. 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. In 1991 he became Policy Advisor to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya for two years.
Mayor
Following his return to New Zealand, Woollaston stood for and became Mayor of Nelson from 1992 to 1998. He was defeated by Paul Matheson in 1998.
Mahana (formerly Woollaston) Estates Winery in Receivership & Glenn Schaeffer
In 1993 Woollaston developed a small vineyard in the Waimea Plains near Nelson with his wife Chan. Originally intended as a retirement hobby the winery grew into a full business when the Woollastons entered into a partnership with American Casino couple, Glenn and Renee Schaeffer, purchasing an apple orchard at Mahana near Nelson. Glenn Schaeffer made headlines in 2009 when the US company he co-founded and headed-Fontainebleu Resorts-filed for bankruptcy. It had been developing the $2.9billion Fontainebleu Las Vegas, a 68-storey 3889 room hotel, condominium, casino, which remains unfinished. In 2015 Woollaston ceased being a director of the Woollaston Estates winery when he nominated Paul Le Gros to replace him and Le Gros also ceased being a director in 2017. Woollaston remains a minority shareholder of the winery along with new Las Vegas shareholders that are in dispute with Schaeffer. According to family members, Woollaston has retired from working in the winery to restore his boat and spend more time with his grandchildren. In July 2018, the Mahana Estates Winery was put up sale and in September it was put into receivership. Woollaston owns 20 per cent of Mahana Estates Winery. Court action by Las Vegas shareholders about misrepresentation of shareholdings is ongoing against Glenn Schaeffer.
