The Trust

The Phil Lamason Heritage Centre Trust (Inc) is a New Zealand Registered Charity No: CC52057.

The Trust was established in 2015 with the following goals

  • To accurately preserve and promote a wider understanding of the Phil Lamason War story.
  • To work collaboratively with other local groups to help preserve and present other important local stories.

The Trust acknowledges the support and generosity of the Lamason family for vesting Phil Lamason’s WWII  story in the Trust for the benefit of the local community.

The Trust has undertaken consultation with key local stakeholders and has the endorsement for the project from the Lamason family, Tararua District Council, Dannevirke Community Board, Dannevirke and Districts RSA, Rangitāne Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Iwi and Ngati Kahungungu ki Tāmaki-nui-ā-Rua Iwi.

On 31 March 2025 the listed Trustees of the Phil Lamason Heritage Centre Trust (Inc) were:

Michael Gerrard Harold

(Chairman), B.A. (Victoria University)

Retired farm owner, teacher and local historian.

Sandra Jane Cordell

(Chairman), B.A. (Victoria University)

Chartered Accountant, farm owner, Fonterra Shareholders Councillor 2015-2017, East Coast Support Trust treasurer.

John William Thomas Lamason

Farmer, eldest son of Phil Lamason.

Glenys Mulligan

B.Ed. (Massey University),

Teacher and colleague of Phil Lamason.

Terence John Hynes

J.P

Retired District Manager MAF, Dannevirke Community Board Representative 2016-2025.

Trust Achievements

I would not step back book

“I Would Not Step Back…”

As an initial project, The Phil Lamason Heritage Centre Trust (Inc) published the biography of Phil Lamason in 2018. The hard cover version of this book titled “I Would Not Step Back…” was judged winner in the Military category of the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest international awards programme for independent publishers.

three different local heritage stories

Between 2020 and 2025 the Trust has undertaken collaborative projects to research, write-up and publish books to help preserve another three different local heritage stories.

Glengarry WWI Soldier Settlement Heritage site

In 2024 the Trust led and completed a local collaborative project to establish the Glengarry WWI Soldier Settlement Heritage site near Dannevirke.

Keep Updated:

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