Our Events

We gather on the second Monday of each month (February to November) at 11.45am for a 12 noon start to listen to a speaker and enjoy lunch at the Hamilton Gardens Lakeside Cafe function room.

We welcome guests of members and just ask for $30 to cover the cost of a guest’s lunch.

Please let us know if you are coming, and if you are bringing a guest, by 10am on the Thursday prior to our meetings so we can confirm catering numbers.

Upcoming events

8 September 2025 - Sonia Baker and Marina Hape

Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge
Courtesy Hamilton City Council

 Sonia Baker is an experienced resource management practitioner and project/programme manaager with over 20 years' experience in local government working on major large-scale development projects.

Her current role is Greenfield Growth Programme Manager for Hamilton City Council, focussed on stakeholder engagement and leading virtual teams (internally and externally) to achieve housing and development outcomes.

She has a science degree and a postgraduate diploma in earth science from the University of Waikato specialising in engineering geology.

Sonia is passionate about coordinating diverse stakeholders to achieve shared outcomes and objectives and will be discussing the development of Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge in this context with Marina Hape of the Tangata Whenua Working Group. 

Marina Hape, of Waikato Tainui, is Kaiarahi-Kaitiaki on the Tangata Whenua Working Group for the Peacockes roading project.


Our 2025 speakers

10 February

Dame Diana Crossan DNZM

Former Retirement Commissioner
“Highlights of a public service career”

10 March

Valerie Millington
Author of “Ellen of Denniston”
“One day everything changed… A powerful and moving biography””

14 April

Founder’s Meeting in  Honour of Gwen Firth

Charlotte Muggeridge
Partner, Harkness Henry
“Experiences in environmental law”

12 May

Dr David Simcock
Chair, Auckland Library Heritage Trust, and
Member, Auckland History Initiative
“Achieving Primacy: The history of Auckland in the 1950s”

9 June

Gigi Crawford
CEO, Zealong Tea Estate
“The Zealong Tea story”

14 July

Partners’ Meeting

Harry Mowbray
Entrepreneur with many interests
“Revitalising our industrial history”

11 August

Dr Clare Brown

Animal Behaviourist
“Innovations in working with animals”

 

8 September

Marina Hape
Tangata Whenua Working Group (TWWG) Kaiarahi/Katiaki, and 

Sonia Baker
HCC Programme Manager – Peacocke
“Te Ara Pekapeka – Journey of partnership and collaboration“

13 October

Featured Club Speaker

Margaret Fish
Occupational Therapist
“Enabling people to live their best lives”

10 November

Annual General Meeting 2025

 

2024 Guest speaker Prof Alexander Gillespie with Awatere Club Committee members