The ship was originally owned in partnership by Tod Thompson, Greta Simmonds and Russell Harris until 1992, when Russell purchased Tod and Greta’s shares in the ship. On reaching retirement, Russell wanted to protect the future of this iconic ship. He transferred her into a Trust on 6 June 2006, for the benefit of the people of Te Taitokerau Northland. He still remains involved on the Board of Trustees along with 7 others who contribute their time willingly to support the Trust.
We pride ourselves on being a ship that is accessible to all, to continue creating lifelong memories for people of all ages; young and old, Māori and Pākehā, visitors and Northlanders alike.
Learning for life through the sea.
With the values of Whānau, Pono, Tīka and Aroha, we will
We are a values-driven organisation, one that operates under the principles of whanaungatanga, bringing people together as a family. The things which are important to us are:
By empowering Northland youth to lead rewarding lives we will drive positive outcomes for these young people, their whānau and their communities across Te Tai Tokerau.
How we achieve our goals is as important as what we achieve.
We will optimise the use of our square-rigged topsail schooner, the R Tucker Thompson, and traditional maritime knowledge, to empower our young people and crew to regenerate our environment and to enhance the mana of Northland youth for the benefit of our region.
The Trust’s financial year runs from 1st June to 31st May, with our Annual Report being published in November. Our annual reports provide a great and easy-to-read overview of the Trust’s work; and how we earn income through our tourism sailings in the Bay of Islands as well as how those funds are then applied for our youth development voyages, developing leadership, confidence and teamwork for the young people of Te Tai Tokerau Northland.
Previous reports
