James and William Mason

James and William Mason founded Mason Bros Nurseries, planted the trees of Auckland's main streets, decorated some of the city's most beautiful gardens and gave generously to charitable causes. Their legacy lives throughout the city.

Thomas (Tom) Henry Ah Chee

Thomas (Tom) Ah Chee was born in Remuera, Auckland but travelled with his parents to Canton, China in 1931, returning to Auckland as an 11-year-old. He was a bright student but his university education to be an architect was cut short by his father’s death, and he took over the family fruit shop. It was there he foresaw that large supermarkets would determine the future of food distribution in New Zealand.

Mary Jane Milne

Mary Jane Milne was born in Ireland and emigrated with her family in 1863. In 1867, despite the economic recession in Auckland, she bought into a millinery and drapery business with her sister Charlotte.

Reuben Charles Porter

Reuben Porter was born in Thames to English parents who emigrated to New Zealand in the early 1880s. The family moved to Christchurch then Auckland in 1892 opening Porter’s Dye Company in Karangahape Road. Reuben attended Beresford Street school leaving in 1903 to work as an apprentice learning the brass foundry and ship repairs trades.

Amy Maria Hellaby

Amy Maria Hellaby was a New Zealand businesswoman, and for a time, New Zealand’s largest employer.

Sir Harvey Turner (CBE)

Harvey Turner was born on 11 September 1889. He left school at 12 to help his father and two older brothers in business. He looked after the accounts and became the firm's first typist, and a few years later, despite his quiet voice, began auctioneering. At 21 he began travelling to Sydney and the Pacific islands to negotiate with fruit growers.

Marianne Caughey Preston

Marianne Preston was, along with her first husband William Smith (d. 31 Aug 1912 interred in the same plot) and brother Andrew Caughey, the founder of the famous Auckland department store Smith and Caughey. On her arrival in Auckland from Ireland in 1879 she opened Smith’s Cheap Drapery Warehouse. Her husband worked for another draper until 1881 when, presumably because she had the business sufficiently established, he joined in partnership with her.

Maurice Paykel

Maurice Paykel was born in Auckland, 1916. Paykel's father, Albert, established an export business dealing in Kauri gum and animal hides. By 1920, his sons, George and Horace, had set up their own mercantile firm, Paykel Brothers, importing a range of industrial products including oils, thermostats, and conveyor belts. When Maurice completed his high school education in 1932, though he had his heart set on a career farming, he duly entered the firm as an assistant, packaging oils and delivering orders.

Sir Robert James Kerridge

Bob Kerridge was an entrepreneur who saw the potential for exhibiting films and built a successful distribution business based on the chain of cinemas that he owned and operated. His earlier forays into the transport business showed a keen business acumen.

Sir Henry Horton

Henry Horton was born in Timaru in 1870, the son of newspaper man A.G. Horton. A. G. Horton had interests in the Timaru Herald, the Thames Advertiser, and Auckland’s Southern Cross. He was also in partnership with the Wilsons, proprietors of the New Zealand Herald.

Richard Hellaby

Co-founder of R. & W. Hellaby Butchers Richard Hellaby was born in Thurvaston, Derbyshire. In 1867 Richard Hellaby followed his older brother William to New Zealand. By 1873 he had saved enough to buy out his employer, F. H. Hammond, and with financial support from Williams, he opened a butcher shop called R. & W. Hellaby on 1 November 1873.

Sir Thomas Harcourt Clarke Caughey (KBE CStJ JP)

Caughey was a great nephew of Marianne Caughey, founder of the iconic Auckland department of store Smith and Caughey. ‘Pat’ Caughey was a capped All Black in the amateur game era when relative few test matches were played and caps were therefore comparatively rare.

Sir James Hugh Buchanan Coates

James Coates was born in Auckland in 1851 – his Father James Coates came out to New Zealand from England as private secretary to G overnor William Hobson. His father subsequently became Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Thomson Wilson Leys

Thomson Wilson Leys was born in England in 1850 and arrived with his family in New Zealand in 1863. Apprenticed as a compositor to learn the printing trade on the Daily Southern Cross newspaper, he later transferred to the reporting staff and in 1870 was appointed sub-editor.