Williamson-Orr, campaigning as Joan Williamson, was first elected to the Taupō Borough Council in 1977.
[1] In 1988, the new Taupō District held its first elections, returning Williamson as mayor.
[5] Taupō's Joan Williamson Rose Garden was named for her in 2007.
[6] As of March 2023[update], her son, John Williamson, is a Taupō district councillor.
Two grandsons, Kane Williamson and Dane Cleaver, have played cricket for New Zealand.