About the Club

In the late 1970s a group of people that attended a beekeeping course at Rangiora High School decided to form a beekeeping club so that they could continue to meet regularly and develop their expertise.  Derek Carey led the group, which had their first meetings in member's homes.

As the group grew in size it moved into monthly meetings in various meeting facilities in Rangiora.  It was an enthusiastic and lively group with a monthly newsletter and a speaker at most meetings.  It undertook field trips to places of interest and to collect swarms.  It mounted stalls at public events with a demonstration hive and members answering questions from curious onlookers.

Eventually the club was able to set up a club apiary on a member's property and started having monthly weekend meetings with demonstrations of hive work.  Then Nick and Bronwen Thorp developed a two-year series of lessons with booklets so that club members new to beekeeping could gain the necessary knowledge and have practical hands-on experience with the club hives.

So now we are an Incorporated Society with charitable status, with club hives next to the Eyreton Hall, a monthly Hive Day there, a library of useful books about beekeeping,  and friendly knowledgeable members willing to share ideas and skills with one another.