The story behind the London St tower block
There’s a story behind that unassuming London St tower overlooking Seddon Park.
A new book about the Waikato Farmers Trust tells the tale of how it got off the ground way back when and continues to fund the rural charity to this day.
The building acts as the bedrock for the trust’s work in the rural sector, chair Conall Buchanan told the Waikato Times.
“The tower is our foundation and represents where the trust started.169 London St is a recognisable landmark of Hamilton’s urban infrastructure, but also our anchor asset.
“It has enabled us to provide financial support for rural communities, education initiatives, and leadership development.”
“The history of the trust wasn’t well known, even among our farming community.”
The story goes back to the 1945 establishment of a Waikato provincial district branch following the creation of Federated Farmers NZ in 1944.
Mother and daughter team Jeanine and Ann Graham joined forces to research the decades of history while it was still possible to talk with those involved. While writing the book they heard many stories but started with little paperwork.
They did get the support of the Hamilton library heritage collection staff who helped them access images from the photographic collection and use archival material of Federated Farmers Waikato.
“The range of historical photographs available including aerial shots meant we could capture all manner of changes within the CBD,” Jeanine said.
The building was enabled thanks to five members taking out life insurance policies to cover the mortgage. The book describes the negotiation with Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Company for the £150,000 mortgage.
“Some mystery has surrounded the means by which the significant sum involved was secured. Fortunately the minutes of the relevant administration committee meeting, December 9 1966, have survived.”
Mutual Life said the mortgage was dependent “on a mutually acceptable life or lives to be arranged by the federation”.
Over the decades, rent from the tower has helped fund a host of initiatives in the rural sector including Life Education Trust and Rural Youth and Literacy. The trust has provided funding for the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter service since 2006.
Buchanan has a particular soft spot for the Kellogg Programme for leadership and professional development in rural New Zealand because it was a programme he became involved in as a young farmer. This experience helped steer him to his position today.
“A person who participates in the Kellogg programme gains skills that strengthen community leadership in the rural sector.”
There has been no official book launch but a copy has been sent to each Waikato Federated Farmers member.
The lack of fanfare seems typical of an organisation preferring to go under the radar as they continue to actively fund rural communities.
Visit www.waikatofarmerstrust.org. nz for copies of the publication via the Waikato Farmers Trust.