Wall of Fame
2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
| 2014 Wall of Fame |
| Ian Farrant (At KHS 1955–59) —Business |
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| Ian was the youngest of three brothers to attend King’s: the eldest Brian, became an electrical engineer, the second Murray, became an anaesthetist, and Ian chose a career in business. The boys’ father, a former school principal, was also a relief teacher at King’s in 1967. After leaving school as the cross-country champion, Ian secured a job at the Inland Revenue Department, while studying part-time at Otago University for a commerce degree, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Marketing. Ian immediately headed to the UK for two years, working for Cooper Bros in London and Glasgow. Upon returning to Dunedin he worked as a tax expert for an associate of Coopers, before becoming one of the first tax partners with Peat Marwick. He also lectured part-time at Otago University for twelve years. In 1984, aware that NZ had a limited pool of experienced company directors, Ian decided to become a full-time professional director with professional interests which eventually ranged from banking to salmon farming, brewing to oil refining, as well as tourism, aviation, roading and infrastructure, meat, fishing and the wool industries. By the end of his full-time career, Ian had been a director of 16 listed companies, 9 unlisted, 4 State-Owned Enterprises (SOE’s), 2 Local Authority Trading Enterprises (LATE’s), 4 Statutory Authorities and 3 farmer co-operatives. He was chairman of 16 of these enterprises. He also assisted the various governments of the day as initial Chairman of the Southern Regional Health Authority (managing South Island health with a budget of $lb), Chairman of the Waterfront Industry Restructuring Authority (which completely restructured NZ port’s labour resources), Chairman of the NZ Shipping Corporation (when it was decided to withdraw from international shipping), Chairman of NZ Post Properties, Director of NZ Post, NZ Forest Corporation and a member of Transit NZ, and the NZ Securities Commission. However, the undoubted highlight of lan’s career was his 29 years on the board of Dunedin—established Fulton Hogan, including 24 years as Chairman. When he joined the company in 1974 it had an annual turnover of $5m and employed 160 people. When he retired, the turnover was $1.3 billion with more than 3000 on the payroll. The company has been and still is, an outstanding NZ success story, operating throughout Australasia and the Pacific. As an accountant, Ian had been trained to compartmentalise projects: at one stage he was Chairman of NZ Refining, which made bitumen, a Member of Transit NZ, which allocated road funding, and Chairman of Fulton Hogan which laid the bitumen, all the while managing to avoid any conflict of interest! Although now semi-retired, he remains Chairman of Skeggs Group (fishing and tourism) and a director of Wilson Holdings (transport), both private companies. Ian modestly claims that, at three times in his life, he was the right person in the right place at the right time; however his ability and his talents were highly appreciated by companies and governments over a long period. In 1997 Ian moved to a 40-hectare cattle and deer farm near Wanaka maintaining business contacts by using modern technology and his own aircraft to attend meetings. In 1986 Ian was made a Fellow of the NZ Chartered Accountants, and four years later a grateful government awarded him the 1990 Commemorative Medal. Subsequently, he was one of sixteen inaugural Distinguished Fellows of the NZ Institute of Directors. In 2007 the Queen made him a Companion of the NZ Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to business and the community. Ian believes this recognition was important for raising the profile of the business community and thereby show how fundamental, strong and healthy businesses are, to the health and well-being of our economy and our nation. |
| Laurie Mains (At KHS 1960–64) —Sport |
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| In his final year at King’s Laurie was selected for the 1st XV and appointed Vice-Captain: he had previously spent two years in the 1st XI Cricket team. On leaving school he joined the Southern Rugby Club as a fullback and played in more than 100 matches for the premier team, scoring 1251 points before retiring in 1977. In 1967 he was selected for the Otago Provincial team, playing in 115 matches and scoring 967 points before retiring in 1975. Apart from his reliable goal kicking, a key attribute was his defence, achieved through sound positional play and his combination with his wingers. In 1971, following the defeat by the British Lions at Carisbrook he was selected for NZ and played in the remaining three Tests, scoring a try in his 17 points. Recalled in 1976 to play in the sole Test against Ireland, he kicked a penalty and was included in the NZ team to tour South Africa. Despite not being selected for the Tests, and merely playing in eleven matches he still scored 132 points, which equalled the record scored by a New Zealand player touring that country. Retiring as a player, Laurie turned to coaching, no doubt helped by his sojourn at Dunedin Teacher’s Training College when he left school: in those days the students were taught how to teach rather than merely to communicate, and he duly qualified as a primary school teacher, teaching in the Taieri area. He was a coach of the Southern premier team from 1979 and won the club premiership three seasons in a row. In 1984 he began coaching Otago, ultimately for 164 matches, and winning the provincial title in 1991—he is the only player to play for and coach his province in more than 100 matches! In 1991 he was appointed convenor of selectors and coach of the All Blacks, and in the 1995 World Cup final played at Johannesburg his team, despite being weakened by illness and playing at altitude was only defeated by South Africa when a goal was drop-kicked during extra time! He subsequently coached the Golden Lions to win South Africa’s Vodacom and Currie Cups, before coaching the Cats, and later the Highlanders. He was subsequently appointed by the NZRU as National Resource Coach and facilitated courses for emerging coaches. On occasion, he also offered technical advice to the King’s 1st XV. Laurie was renowned as a coach of forwards despite being a fullback, and for his use of innovative methods: one being to take his players deep-sea fishing off the Otago coast! In 1992 Laurie was NZ Rugby Personality of the year; in 1996 he was the subject of a book written by Howitt & McConnell entitled simply ‘Laurie Mains’ which concentrated mainly on his coaching, especially his tenure with the All Blacks, and he received the Services to Otago Sport Award; and in 1998 he was honoured by the Queen and made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to rugby. In 2005, prior to a test between the two countries, 430 eminent guests gathered in Dunedin for a testimonial breakfast to honour his contribution to rugby as a player and as a coach in both New Zealand and South Africa. He remains a committee member of the Sassenachs Rugby Club and a Trustee of The Otago Amateur Rugby Charitable Trust. But there is more to Laurie than merely rugby: for several years he was a sheep farmer at Woodside on the Taieri Plains, and he is a successful businessman, having owed Profile Homes & Versatile Garages and is currently Managing Director of G. J. Gardner Homes Otago. Laurie and wife Annemarie are Trustees of The Lift (Life Improvement For Teenagers) Charitable Trust which they fund for the purpose of financially assisting disadvantaged teenagers to benefit from education and cultural activities not funded by the education system: several King’s boys have been assisted by the Trust. |
| William McLean (At KHS 1946–50) —Academic |
 
While at King’s, Bill McLean maintained a high degree scholarship, and in his final year was made a Prefect. He entered Otago University and graduated B.Sc., in 1954, and M.Sc., in 1956 with first-class honours in physics. As a result, he was awarded a Shell Senior Scholarship, which provided him with a place in Clare College at Cambridge University to study as a research student in the famous Cavendish Laboratory. He chose to study superconductivity, which today has many applications such as fast digital circuits, low-loss power cables, powerful magnets used in medical scanners, and to levitate trains. At the time Bill began his research, a theory of superconductivity had been proposed, and experimental, confirmation was needed. Joining an elite group within the Cavendish Lab (the Mond), Bill designed and constructed a new type of apparatus to measure the superconducting penetrating depth (the distance by which a magnetic field penetrates into a superconductor) in aluminium at a certain frequency over a range of temperatures. His experimentation was entirely successful, and he was awarded his PhD in 1960. Following a brief sojourn at the University of British Columbia, he was appointed to Rutgers University in New Jersey, ultimately being promoted to Professor. Over the years new effects were discovered, and new materials came into prominence, with high-temperature superconductors as the most recent surprise. Bill always in the vanguard, making his own contribution to each exciting new development, usually with one or more research students for he was a committed teacher and a true scholar who was never content until he had reached the bottom of any problem. The papers that he published as a result of his research have been regarded as meticulously careful, the work of an imaginative scientist who chose to investigate critical problems of fundamental importance. Bill had a deep grasp of the entire field of solid-state physics, and an ability to communicate his understanding with real skill and style, not a trait common among practitioners of the subject. A Nobel prize-winning physicist considered Bill to be a first-rate experimentalist whose work was of the highest quality and which had a considerable international impact. A colleague described Bill as being a very private modest, rather shy person unfailingly kind and generous, giving freely of his time and knowledge. He never married, but radiating gentle good humour made friends all around the world and was both welcomed as a visitor and welcoming as a host. Following his untimely death from cancer in December 1990, a memorial colloquium was held the following year in the Physics Auditorium at Rutgers with eminent participants from around the world with whom he had worked during his research career; all spoke in glowing terms of Bill as a person, and of his important contributions to science. |
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