The trustee savings bank movement built a proud history in the south, beginning with the opening of the Invercargill Savings Bank in 1864. Over time, this movement evolved into a community-focused financial institution. By the mid-1980s, Southland’s trustee bank was known as Trust Bank Southland, with informal ‘community ownership’.
In 1988, following the deregulation of New Zealand’s banking industry, Trust Bank Southland was converted into a company, and the Trust Bank Southland Community Trust was formed as its sole shareholder — formally recognising community ownership. That same year, the Trust exchanged its shares in Trust Bank Southland Limited for a 13.9% stake in Trust Bank New Zealand.
The Finance Minister of the day, Roger Douglas, appointed Invercargill architect Bob Simpson as the Trust’s inaugural chair, along with 11 respected community members as Trustees to govern the fledgling organisation. In making these appointments — and subsequent ones — the Minister aimed to ensure a balance of skills and experience, as well as gender, ethnic, and geographical representation.
Our Brand History
The Trust retained ownership of its shares until April 1996, when Trust Bank New Zealand was sold to Westpac Banking Corporation. As part of the sale, the Trust received $158 million, establishing a strong capital base. Until this point, the Trust’s sole investment was its shares in Trust Bank New Zealand. The sale of the bank triggered a rapid diversification of the Trust’s portfolio, which now includes investments in cash, New Zealand and international shares and bonds, infrastructure, property, private equity, and impact investments.
Following the sale of its shares in Trust Bank New Zealand, the Trust changed its name from ‘Trust Bank Southland Community Trust’ to ‘Community Trust of Southland’. Then in 2018, it adopted the name ‘Community Trust South’ to better reflect the region it serves today.
Community Trust South represents the people in the area previously served by Trust Bank Southland, including Southland province, Queenstown, Glenorchy, Arrowtown, and Tapanui. In November 2019, the boundary between Community Trust South and Otago Community Trust was adjusted to include Milford Sound, Paradise, and the entire Queenstown Ward area, with minor changes made to align with current district and ward boundaries.
Since its formation in 1988, Community Trust South has been guided by a succession of dedicated Chairs. Each has played a vital role in shaping the Trust’s direction and deepening its connection to the communities it serves.
| Chair Name | Term Start | Term End | Notes |
| Bob Simpson | 1988 | 1994 | Inaugural Chair |
| Colin Ballantyne | 1994 | 2001 | |
| Wayne Harpur | Aug 2021 | Nov 2024 | |
| Alison Broad | Nov 2004 | Nov 2008 | |
| Tracy Hicks | Nov 2008 | 2012 | First term |
| Robin Campbell | 2012 | 2013 | |
| Tracy Hicks | 2013 | 2014 | Second term |
| Trish Boyle | 2014 | 2016 | First term |
| Margot Hishon | Nov 2016 | May 2019 | First term |
| Penny Simmonds | May 2019 | 2020 | |
| Trish Boyle | 2020 | 2021 | Second term |
| Bill Moran | Sep 2022 | July 2023 | |
| Kirsty Pickett | Jul 2023 | Jan 2024 | |
| Margot Hishon | Jan 2024 | Present | Second term |
_________________________________________________________________________________________
| Vince Petrie | Secretary (part-time) | 1988 | 1996 |
| Michael Goodchild | Chief Executive (First time) | Aug 1996 | Feb 1998 |
| John Prendergast | Chief Executive | Feb 1998 | Jun 2017 |
| Denis Woods | Interim GM | Jun 2017 | Feb 2018 |
| Jackie Flutey | Chief Executive | Feb 2018 | Present |
past trustees
