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Erica Tenquist

Erica Tenquist, Book Launch for 'Legless with Cuthbert'...

HB Branch Winter Lunch

A stunning view, great food and friendship attracted a full house of Hawkes Bay members to learn about the Ahuriri history and to hear Kiwi Husbandry Manager Bev Wilkinson talk about Save the Kiwi....

Waikato ANZAC

NZ Founders Waikato Member Kaye Forster-Hill laid a wreath at the Hamilton Anzac service on behalf of the NZ Founders....

Hawkes Bay Branch Afternoon Tea

On 11 May there was a wonderful turn-out of Hawkes Bay branch members to hear an outstanding Speech and PowerPoint about an adventure on the ice at Antarctica, by a well-prepared group of New Zealanders. The speaker, Les Appleford, who worked for NZ Aerial Mapping, gave us a talk on life in the Antarctic in October/November 1993. A crew of three men flew an Aero Commander over the continent taking over five hundred black and white photographs, which were to be made into maps. Safety was essentia...

Hawke's Bay Bus Trip

On a beautiful Autumn day in April, Founders members were picked up from the four designated bus stops and proceeded to Riverslea, the property of Robert Flanders, on the Napier Road near Mangateretere. Robert Flanders is the 5th generation to own this property. which was initially purchased by John Flanders in 1897 from Thomas Tanner.Thomas Tanner and William Rich in 1864/65 were the initial lessees of the Heretaunga Block, that included all the plains to the Ngaruroro River. It was several yea...

NZ Founders Society AGM 2025

National Annual General Meeting held at the Devon Hotel, New Plymouth, 22 March 2025A brief report on the meeting.The formal AGM was the reason for members to be in New Plymouth but it was the informal networking that made this a very valuable meeting. The chatting over the dinner table of what works for different branches with varying dynamics from remote members, very small branches, to a group of over 150, the sharing of ideas was invaluable. We were treated to a fantastic venue, great food, ...

Waikato Founders February meeting

Neville Ritchie, who received a recent Book Grant Award, speaking to Waikato Founders on his book "Waterways of New Zealand from 1840"....

Hawke's Bay Branch of the New Zealand Founders Society Lunch

Held at the National Service Club Hastings, on Sunday, March 9th.After a generous and scrumptious meal served to 51 members, Faye Sherriff, welcomed everyone and thanked the amazing catering team.Pam Slay asked for anyone who lost relatives on the emigrant ship Cospatrick, which burned and sank in 1874 with the loss of 433 emigrants, to contact her for a research project. This was New Zealand’s little-known but worst maritime disaster.Erica Tenquist, a recipient of the NZ Founde...

Hawke's Bay Branch Lunch

This year, Valentine’s Day was made very special for a group of Hawke’s Bay members.Faye Sheriff our new “Commander” had organized a lovely lunch in Taradale.Many arrived in Art Deco costumes and this made it very festive.The lunch was held in Shani’s Family Restaurant, the large variety of items on the menu meant everyone had something they could enjoy. The venue was very friendly as were the staff who attended to our every need. Long stemmed roses graced the place mats on the wooden ...

Featured Book: Harbouring

From the author of Denniston Rose and Heart of Coal her new book, Harbouring, is set amid the NZ Company’s arrival in Wellington and the establishment of the colony there.It is a Welsh family from the foundries who are one of the first to join the scheme of Colonel William Wakefield. This is early Wellington as many stories depict it.  The towering trees and roughly cut roads, shining harbour full of ships and gutsy weather. There is bureaucratic bumbling, land sales a...

Hawke's Bay Luncheon

On a sunny but pleasantly mild day, 51 guests gathered at the Taradale Bridge Club Rooms, located in the picturesque Park Island Recreation Grounds, Napier. This was the first event held under the New Constitution of the New Zealand Founders Society Inc. and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming.Coordinator Faye Sherriff opened the event with a heartfelt welcome and expressed gratitude to the outgoing committee, all past committee members, and the retiring President and Secretary/Treasurer, Padd...

Waikato branch outing to Waiuku with Auckland branch

Waikato Branch invited Auckland Branch to join them at an outing in Waiuku.We started at Waiuku Museum, a very full and interesting place to explore.One of our Members, Joy Carter posed outside a sign commemorating her Uncle, Deputy Mayor and Foundation Member of the Museum Society.We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Kentish Hotel. The Kentish was established 170 years ago.Linda Kemp and Cynthia Jarrett were presented their Certificates by President Ray Mudford.Knight & Dickey Vintage Vehicle Mu...

Hawke's Bay Branch trip to Feilding Coach House Museum trip

Sunday 24th November, members boarded the coach for the 3 hour trip from Havelock North to Feilding Coach House Museum, "A hidden gem of history waiting to be explored". Due to being a very long day, there were only 36 members on this trip.Sadly, this was the last trip to be organized by Hawke's Bay Founders Branch President Paddy, and Secretary/Treasurer Richard. They announced their retirement earlier in the year, taking effect on 31 December 2024. 15 years ago they joined the Hawke's Bay B...

Featured Book: Ōkiwi Brown

While this is a story it could be true.  Ōkiwi Brown, is set in the time of, Cristina Sanders other book Jerningham: early colonial Wellington, in all its rough and grubby glory.Ōkiwi Brown draws heavily on historical fact and real-life characters to paint a picture of lives lived on the colonial fringe, away from what passed for ‘respectable’ society in the 1840s and ’50s. Two historically recorded suspicious deaths — first a child’s body found in a stream in 1846, his hea...

Issues 90 - 93, 2018 - 2021

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Auckland Branch funds study into the merits of Auckland's heritage Special Character Areas

Josh Howie, an Auckland University Masters student, was funded by the Auckland Branch of NZ Founders.A link to the Auckland City Council report which includes his report (page 22) is here....

Hawke's Bay Branch visit to Smedley Station and Waipawa

On Sunday 6th October, 55 members boarded the coach for the very scenic drive out into the Kahuranaki and Elsthorpe areas east of Havelock North to Waipawa. Our lunch venue was the Historic Waipawa Municipal Theatre.The main highlight of the day was to come! Following lunch our trip continued through the scenic Tikokino countryside to Smedley Station and Cadet Farm. During this drive, the commentary was given by Branch member Athol Curtis who is an "Old boy" now called "Ex Cadets" of Smedley...

Taranaki Branch pay tribute to George Mason

No doubt, you are all aware the Dr. George Mason passed away in September. George has been a valued member for 10 years with our group. He was a very generous philanthropist within the local community and with the Auckland University, supporting the arts, education and the environment. His trust fund will continue to support these ideals into the future.The following tribute was posted on the Legacy memorials for George's family.Taranaki Branch of NZ Founders wish to acknowledge George's memb...

Hawke's Bay Branch Meeting - August 2024

Branch President Paddy Bayley warmly welcomed the 60 people attending the August lunch meeting at the Taradale RSA.When she presented two new members with their Membership Certificates, Paddy noted that one of her ancestors also came on the same ship as Diane Frater's. This ship was the "Slains Castle" to Wellington in January1841Following lunch there was no formal speaker. Instead, members were given the opportunity to share their views on the future format for our Branch from 1 January 2025....

Taranaki Branch meeting - August 2024

10 members met on 9 August at the Genealogy rooms to hear from Peter Rankin, the story of his early life in New Plymouth and his great great grandfather, William Batten.William, a widower with 7 children, arrived in New Plymouth on the to become a well-known farmer in the Kent Road (now Junction Road) area. His 2 sons were active in the Militia during the Taranaki Wars.He was very much ahead of the times in providing a legacy of land to be shared amongst his daughters, not able to be transferre...

Waikato Branch visit to Matangi Dairy Factory - June 2024

Waikato Branch visited the old Matangi Dairy Factory where Harry Mowbray gave a very interesting presentation on the history of the factory and the present day use by the Mowbray Family Trust....

Hawke's Bay Branch Winter lunch - June 2024

"I WOULD NOT STEP BACK…"A large banner, featuring a photograph of a wartime hero, with a British fighter plane on fire in the background, with the words:168 Condemned Allied AirmenA Nazi firing squadThree days to executiongreeted 67 members of our Branch as they arrived at the historic Cheval Rooms, Hastings Racecourse for our annual mid-winter lunch....

NZ Founders Society AGM June 2024

The NZ Founders Society held its AGM on 15 June 2024 at the East Pier Hotel in Napier. The meeting agreed to adopt the new constitution when it re-registers under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 on 1 January 2025. The new constitution was based on the constitution builder put out by the Incorporated Societies Registry which was a great resource to ensure that all the necessary extras were included. The officers elected at the AGM and the current branch representatives will act until 31 Decem...

Auckland Branch sponsorship of Auckland University study into Special Character Areas

The Auckland Branch of NZ Founders recently sponsored a summer student of Auckland University. Joshua Howie's report is attached....

Taranaki branch meet in Inglewood - May 2024

31 May 2024, 9 members attended a presentation by Graeme Sykes at St. Andrews Church in Inglewood. The current Church opened in 1923 and was closed in 2019 with earthquake risk. The Church is an historical site and is known as a Peace Memorial commemorating the 137 soldiers who perished in the 1st World War. Parishioners currently worship in the Church Hall.A window from the original wooden church, moved from New Plymouth in 1877 is in place in the current church.Feasibility studies have been do...