Council acknowledges contribution of Brian Perry

Hamilton City Council has acknowledged the immense contribution made to the city by the late Brian Perry.

Mr Perry, who established the Perry Group in the 1950s, passed away on Thursday. He was a noted philanthropist who had “given back” to the Hamilton and Waikato communities through the Brian Perry Foundation.

An astute businessman, Mr Perry’s commercial operations employed hundreds of Hamilton and Waikato residents over several decades. His companies and his foundation donated significantly to sport across the region, particularly junior golf and Sport Waikato, and took a major role in the development of Waikato Stadium, where the main stand bears his name. Mr Perry’s foundation was also a major sponsor of Hamilton’s iconic Riff Raff statue.

In 2005, Mr Perry was given Freedom of the City – the city’s highest honour and early this year he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

Mayor Julie Hardaker said: “The Perry Group has been one of the Waikato’s true success stories, and Brian was the driver behind that. His commitment to the city and the region earned him widespread acknowledgement and he has been a true leader for Hamilton and Waikato. He is a great loss, and Council’s thoughts are with his family at this time.”