Thomas Henry Pearce was a New Zealand politician, rugby union player and businessman. He was chairman of the Auckland Regional Authority for 8 years. A controversial figure, he was known for his blunt, often fiery personality speaking forthrightly and not standing on ceremony.

The Auckland Regional Council (ARC) was the regional council of the Auckland Region. Its predecessor the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA) was formed in 1963 and became the ARC in 1989. The ARC was subsumed into the Auckland Council on 1 November 2010.