On the day the news became public, Peter Nation delighted in being able to share it with his wider family – but in particular one person who had been an inspiration to him throughout his life.
That was his dad – 95 year old Arnold Nation.
Peter Nation checks the hydroponics in his greenhouse. Photo: Roy Pilott
Because the dedication Peter Nation has brought to agriculture industry and governance – a contribution rewarded when he became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit – can be traced back to a sheep and beef farm, and sawmill, in the Turakina Valley north west of Hunterville which his parents ran.
It was a fourth generation operation and involved seven families – a significant employer.
Arnold, self-taught, “he didn’t turn on power until he was 21” ran the operation while filling a host of roles in the community.
The family’s influence in the community was significant.
“When someone would ring and say we are building a new fire station or a new ambulance station – the family would cut the timber for nothing.
“Mum was heavily involved in politics so we would have meetings at home and big political celebrations … she’d be baking for the pet day.
“That’s all relevant to me today – the boy from the valley,” Nation said.
But following his father’s lead did not equate to a career in farming or silviculture.
“Mum told me the heaviest thing I would lift would be a pen.”
So, the teenager fresh out of boarding at Wanganui Boys’ College – who had been charged with doing the staff wages at home – opted for a career in banking.
At 17, Nation – who was born on Anzac Day (April 25) 1961 – was involved in Jaycees, he worked with a group to build a squash club – and he was attending Chamber of Commerce meetings. All the while, his day job involved 40 minutes each way up the valley to get to work.
Mum, Prue, died when Nation was 18, so was not there to celebrate his rapid rise through the ANZ banking ranks. He was one of their youngest managers nine years later in Waverley. At 30 he was a career banker, he had met his wife to be Ali – now an advisory partner with PKF Hamilton – and moves to Hamilton and the Coromandel Peninsula followed. A return to Hamilton came with a new direction – rural banking.
Peter Nation outside in his Tamahere garden. Photo: Roy Pilott
New Zealand Fieldays was one of his customers and he oversaw the approval for credit to build the first pavilion at Mystery Creek and also looked after sponsorship for Fieldays, eventually joining their board.
The rural links continued when he left banking after 26 years – a redundancy victim of the ANZ-National banks merger – to work for Gallaghers, becoming national sales manager.
In the early 1990s he became involved – and highly supportive – of new environmental awards which were presented at Hamilton’s Distinction Hotel. He saw some practises his father had introduced many years ago being replicated. Talks followed and it was suggested the award go national.
In 1993-94 he was instrumental in securing significant sponsorship packages for the awards. The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are an integral part of the rural sector today – and the visionaries who set it up celebrated a 30th anniversary reunion recently at Karāpiro.
He is also proud of the success of the Agribusiness in Schools programme which he was able to help through securing sponsorship from Gallaghers and Fieldays after the then St Paul’s Collegiate principal Grant Lander shared a vision with him.
“It’s one of those things that align with your values and your beliefs … we’ve now got 100 schools teaching year 12 and 13 agribusiness and we’ve produced 3000 students. That’s another one of those pinch moments.”
Having worked in and around Fieldays for two decades, Nation was quick to express an interest when the chief executive’s job came up. He was selected from a pool of 67 applicants and after arriving in March 2016 oversaw a successful decade in the role as Fieldays negotiated the digital revolution and Covid.
He decided to retire to his Tamahere lifestyle block of 27 years last year – and spend more time with family.
Peter Nation – Waikato Chamber chair
He is Waikato Chamber of Commerce chair now and continues to fight the good fight for the rural community – most recently publicly taking on New Zealand Post over its rural delivery service changes.
His finger is still on the button of local issues, he is an avid follower of news – and reading newspapers – and is not short of an opinion on any issue. He will always be an influential ambassador for Fieldays.
“You don’t realise the shadow you cast,” he says of the chief executive role and the annual expo.
But a move into politics, locally or nationally, is certainly not on the cards.
He regards the abuse of local body politicians, particularly on social media as “sickening and disgusting”.
“There are different ways to get involved”.
And there is no shortage of work to do at home – a thriving hydroponic set up in the greenhouse, lush lawns to mow, cutting firewood, making use of the big workshop and upstairs offices for he and his wife.
Installing a lift is on the cards “when we get old”.
Of his award Nation says it’s for his family – wife Ali, and adult children Samantha and Thomas who have all worked voluntarily for Fieldays – and acknowledges being told “you give back”.
Just like his dad – who will be “so proud”.
The office at home is still in constant use for Peter Nation. Photo: Roy Pilott
