Bloodline leads from whaling to whale conservation

The National Whale Centre Trust (NWC) in Picton is welcoming a new trustee, drawn to the centre by his historic whaling bloodlines and interests in conservation and tourism. 

Peter Allport is a successful company director with an international business career that has spanned five decades and numerous industries.

He is Te Âti Awa and a descendant of James ‘Worser’ Heberley, a prominent whaler and trader who first arrived at Te Awaiti in Marlborough in 1832. The Heberley family continued to hunt whales off the Marlborough Sounds right up until the end of whaling in New Zealand in 1964.

Heberleys still live in the area, including Joe Heberley who once worked on his father’s whale chaser. He is one former whaler now involved in the Department of Conservation (DOC) whale conservation project and annual whale count.

The Allport family also has strong ties to the Sounds – Allport Island is named after Peter’s relatives.

With whaling in his blood, Peter’s appoinment as a trustee perfectly illustrates the NWC’s approach. While acknowledging the historical importance of whaling in the area, the NWC focuses on future conservation of whale populations globally.

And Peter will be a welcome addition to the NWC Trust with an incredible breadth of experience. He was previously chairman of the Karori Sanctuary Trust (responsible for establishing the Zealandia native flora and fauna sanctuary) and chairman of Tourism New Zealand.

Peter is currently chairman of advanced technology company, Magritek, and the Electricity Authority Retail Advisory Group; a board member of Wellington Free Ambulance Inc; director of Taranaki Whanui Limited; a trustee of the NZ Red Cross Foundation and the Honorary Consul of Mongolia in New Zealand.

Nick Gerritsen, chair of the National Whale Centre Trust says the NWC is thrilled to have Peter’s support and says his family links make the appointment “almost poetic”. 

“Peter brings outstanding business acumen to the leadership of NWC. His experience across so many sectors, including not-for-profit and tourism, will be invaluable to the future of NWC and whale populations.”

The NWC is New Zealand’s only institute which focuses exclusively on cetaceans (whales and dolphins). The NWC display and development hub on Picton’s foreshore currently acts as a physical base for the centre.

The NWC Trust aims to eventually build an iconic, interactive space on Picton’s waterfront for visitors to learn more about current whale and dolphin conservation efforts and the local area’s whaling history through temporary exhibitions and events.

The NWC project continues to gain wide support from individual supporters, visitors and a growing list of benefactors.