Waikato Branch
Past Events
Waikato Founders Irish Arrival Story
October 15, 2026
This is a story compiled by writings of Marie’s Father Patrick Ryan. Great Grandfather William Farrell, his First Wife Margaret, Son Robert, Father Robert, Brother James and a Cousin Robert arrived in 1863 on The Queen of Beauty from Northern Ireland
Waikato Founders to Pirongia
September 17, 2026
Pirongia was latterly named after the nearby mountain of the same name but was called Alexandra in the 1800s by British settlers. They named it that in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark who married Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales, heir to Queen Victoria of Great Britain and the Empire of those days. Two British military redoubts were established in the vicinity during the Land Wars of the 1860s and the Maori people had a large fortification at nearby Paterangi.
Waikato Founders to Thames
September 21, 2025
The first stop being the Thames Museum. After an hour and a bit of travel a warm cup of team and biscuits greeted the team with a bunch of enthusiastic volunteers to show us around.
After-lunch walk gave a good perspective of how Thames was – The retail building hadn’t changed since 1900
50 Years Celebration
August 24, 2025
On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Waikato Founders Society met in the local Guide Hall. The setting was an old Ministry of works wooden building set in a park with bush like settings. One could imagine one was back in the late 19th Century, bush and wooden building with grass lawn, and the area community had met to have a social occasion of celebration in this case a High Tea.
Waikato Founders meeting
July 17, 2025
Christine Barbour spoke to us on DNA and how we can use it to trace our Family.
Marie Ryan was presented her certificate and spoke of her Ancestors arrivals in New Zealand.
Anzac Commemoration
April 25, 2025
Kaye Forster-Hill laid a wreath at the Hamilton Anzac Service on behalf of NZ Founders Waikato Branch
Waikato Founders February meeting
March 13, 2025
Neville Ritchie, who received a recent Book Grant Award, speaking to Waikato Founders on his book "Waterways of New Zealand from 1840".
Visit to Matangi Dairy Factory
July 3, 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.
Waikato Student Literary Awards
Waikato Heritage Tales
Waikato celebrate Foundation Day
August 24 1981
Silverdale Homestead is one of Hamilton’s oldest properties
Vendor Sharon Moore told OneRoof that the farm’s first owner was a veteran of the New Zealand Wars, which rocked the country in the latter half of the 19th century. She said Captain C. A. Davis, like many soldiers in the conflict, was granted land by the state as payment for his service.
