While the Goodfellows made their name as pioneering dairy producers, at least one of their order is more closely associated with the world of politics these days.
Peter Goodfellow, one of the grandsons of dairy industry pioneer Sir William Goodfellow, has been at the frontline of myriad difficulties this year as president of the National Party.
Those involve a review of claims of bullying and intimidation within the Party, brokering agreements between rogue MP Jamie Lee Ross and unknown complainants, and urging unity in the ranks around leader Simon Bridges.
Peter Goodfellow also chairs Lock Finance, an Auckland independent business finance and factoring service provider.
Meanwhile, brother (William) Bruce Goodfellow, who has a PhD in chemical engineering, is largely in charge of the family businesses and investments.
However, last year he announced that he would not seek re-election as a director of agri-chemical company Nufarm. That decision marked the end of almost 60 years of Goodfellow family involvement as directors of the company.
The family wealth came via Sir William Goodfellow who entered the dairy industry almost by accident when the buyer of an order of dairy equipment defaulted, leaving him with plant and machinery on his hands. Foreseeing a more mechanised dairy industry in the future, he formed the Waikato Dairy Company in 1909. That was turned into the largest dairy company in the country.
Bruce is still general manager of Amalgamated Dairies, founded by Sir William and run by their father (William) Douglas Goodfellow, who died aged 97 in 2014.
The family still follow Douglas’s lead in contribution to causes, particularly in education and those inspired by the Presbyterian Church.
The Goodfellow Unit at the University of Auckland was established to commemorate the life of Sir William. Other donations include a postgraduate chair in general practice at Auckland Medical School and the Richard Maclaurin Goodfellow chair in theology.
2018: $650 million