Okains Bay Museum Trust Board
The museum is governed by a trust board that meets bi-monthly. The board structure includes a representative of the Thacker whānau, Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Canterbury Museum, and Christchurch City Council. These appointed representatives are joined by up to three additional skills-based board members. Most of the Museum’s projects are carried out by museum staff with volunteer labour. Specialist skills are brought in on a contract basis. The Museum is also served by a patron, longstanding former board member, Nigel Hampton KC.
Helen Brown
Chair and Trustee - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu representative
Helen Brown (Ngāi Tahu) is Kairangahau Matua Tiaki Taonga (Senior Researcher Archives) at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. She is a researcher and writer with expertise in Māori heritage research, advocacy and management and works with Ngāi Tahu iwi, hapū, whānau and Kaitiaki Papatipu Rūnanga on Māori heritage projects. Helen has an MA in history and degrees in Museum Studies and English Literature. She has a holiday home at Okains Bay and has been involved with the Museum as a volunteer, Secretary and Board member. In 2015 Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu appointed Helen as their representative on the Board.
Tyrone Fields
Christchurch City Council Representative
After a successful career as a financial analyst and social worker, Tyrone was elected in 2018 to the Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board. In 2022 he was elected as the Christchurch City Councillor for the Banks Peninsula ward. His family has lived on Banks Peninsula for generations.
Michael Laing
Trustee & Treasurer
Michael Laing Joined the Board in April 2019. Mike studied at Lincoln University in the early nineties and has never left the Canterbury region since. He is currently the Managing Director of Kendons Business Advisors and Chartered Accountants in Christchurch. Mike has sat on a number of boards both commercial and not for profit in an advisory capacity and currently sits on the Oakland’s Primary School Board of Trustees. Raised on a farm near Gore, Mike has a range of sporting interests. These include squash, golf and water skiing with his wife and three teenage daughters.
Sarah Murray
Trustee - Canterbury Museum Representative
Sarah Murray is Head of Collections and Research at Canterbury Museum where she is responsible for the curatorial, inventory and registration teams and the Museum’s volunteers. Sarah has been with the Museum since 2007 and has extensive experience in curatorial and collections roles as well as people management.
Sarah has an MA(Dis) and BA(Hons) from Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka and is the author of several books and journal articles as well as an Adjunct Fellow in History at the University of Canterbury.
John Thacker
Trustee - Thacker Family Representative
John Thacker is a local farmer and businessman with deep family ties to Okains Bay and the Museum. He is the board representative for the Thacker Family.
Justin Fields
Trustee
Justin Fields is currently principal of Christchurch North College. He was previously principal at Chisnallwood Intermediate. He has completed the Institute of Directors five-day course and other professional development, and he also serves on the Board of Sieba. Justin joined the Board in 2024.
Nigel Hampton
Patron
Nigel Hampton CNZM OBE KC is a lawyer with extensive criminal law experience in New Zealand and overseas. He studied law at Canterbury University and in 1964 was awarded the Gold Medal for top graduate for the year. He was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in February 1965.
He became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1988, a Queen’s Counsel in 1989, and in 2018 was awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to law.
Outside of law, Nigel’s interests and patronage extended to human rights, rugby and local history. Nigel is a former chair of Okains Bay Māori and Colonial Museum Trust and was made the Museum’s Patron in 2020.