Featured NBR Rich List: Humphry Rolleston

INVESTMENT

$85 Million

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A descendant of one of the early political leaders of Christchurch, Humphry Rolleston honours the family’s long involvement in the city’s affairs but his business interests have expanded well beyond the traditional concerns of the founding fathers.

Rolleston’s holding company, Asset Management, is the umbrella vehicle for a diverse range of businesses, including the hydraulic engineering firm McRae’s Global, Matrix Security, Free Phones Fiji, a billboard and printing business based in Nadi and 195ha of farmland on the Takamatua peninsula known as Children’s Bay Farm in Akaroa.

However, tourism has become a mainstay of the Asset Management group.

There are two main brands in the tourism business – Spaceships and Stray coach tours.

Stray operates in six countries – New Zealand, Australia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – while Spaceships operates campervans in New Zealand, Australia and the UK.

Alongside those relatively low-tech ventures are some more edgy disruptive technology investments held through the company’s Melbourne-based Asset Growth Fund, run by Rolleston’s son, George.

The fund’s investments include equipment hire and construction software provider Plantminer, property marketer Investorist and Travlr, a new disruptive tourism booking platform.

As well as his private company interests, Rolleston has several public roles including directorships of Infratil and Property for Industry.

He is also the inaugural chairman of the Christchurch City Foundation, a charitable organisation set up as a focus for philanthropy (Christchurchfoundation.org.nz) and he chairs the 180 Degrees Trust, a trust that assists at-risk teenagers.  

Rolleston is also on the board of Regenerate Christchurch, a government and city council joint venture with special planning powers to assist the rebuilding of the city.

Rolleston lives in Fendalton with his wife Debra.  The family owns property at Kaiteriteri in Tasman Bay and in the Marlborough Sounds near Picton.  Their three sons all work directly or indirectly in the family’s businesses.

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