Invercargill Archives

Overview William Arthur (Bill) Black has become a well-known figure both in aviation circles and among the general population of New Zealand as a result of his search and rescue activities in the south. From a young age he developed a keen interest in aeroplanes and bought his first Tiger Moth while still a teenager. Only a couple of years later he was working as a commercial pilot for Te Anau-based company, Ritchie Air Services, when as well as scenic flights he was providing air-freight services for...

Overview Vernon Thompson has been hunting wild deer since boyhood. A rapid rise in deer numbers in the south by the late 1950s meant he and his brothers, Bill and Nelson, were able to turn a weekend interest into a commercial enterprise. At first, using boats built in their fathers woolshed, the Thompson boys kept within the Lake Monowai and southem coastal areas. But increasing competition pushed Vernon to move to Te Anau where he was able to work as a groundhunter on the lake shores as well as those...