For someone mad on cars, having a driver licence is gold.
For Howick’s Laurie Hamlet, who is about to turn 100, it’s not a problem.
As his daughter Gill Hamlet so eloquently put it, “He really is a pretty amazing chap, sharp as a tack and just given the okay to drive for another two years.”
Laurie’s 100th birthday is on June 16 and activities are planned involving friends, family and vehicles, none of which can be shared publicly as he knows little or nothing about them, although there will almost certainly be further festivities scheduled for Saturday.
Laurie featured in the Times in July last year as part of the Howick 175 anniversary celebrations which saw many locals appear to tell their stories.
He was born to Ernest John (Jack) and Delia Hamlet in 1923. The 1930s were mired in the Great Depression.
When the depression hit, Laurie’s parents lost their home in Epsom. The family moved around Auckland to Devonport, Parnell and finally settled in Orakei.
“Depression times were tough. Dad left school at the age of 14 to help support the family,” said Gill.
“He worked in a bookshop in Queen Street for a short period of time and then went into the automotive business.”
That was to shape his professional life. Laurie enlisted in the airforce as an aircraft engineer, and completed two postings in the Pacific in the Solomon Islands.
Laurie returned to New Zealand after World War II ended in 1945 and was posted to Ardmore and discharged from the airforce in 1946. He returned to his old job with Watson Steel and Ganley as an automotive electrician.
A year later, Laurie met his wife-to-be, Patricia (Pat) and in mid-1949 they married and over the next eight years welcomed their their children Michael, Craig and Gillian to the family.
In 1955, Laurie and Pat move to Howick. He started working for Air New Zealand as an instrument engineer.
They were Interesting times with the transition from Fokkers and DC8s to DC10s and 747s.
Laurie worked for Air New Zealand until December 1987 when he retired. His interest in model aircraft and yachts kept him busy and he had a part time job at Pakuranga College in the engineering department.
He was made an honorary member of the NZ Warbirds in February 2022.
He had keenly followed the restoration of the P40 World War II Aircraft and was taken for a fly in that with pilot Frank Parker in February last year before the aircraft was shipped off to its new owners in Italy.
He has a passion for cars of all makes and models and meets with his Coffee and Cars mates every Thursday at Howick Historical Village.
Laurie doesn’t just like going quick on land. He was actively involved in the Howick Sailing Club from 1955 when he started out in smaller craft and progressed through to keelers in the 1980s.
Another passion is yachting. He volunteered at the 1995, 2000 and 2002 Louis Vuitton Cup events assisting out on the water with race course management for the LV heats, in the lead up to the America’s Cup finals.
Travel was a passion of Laurie and Pat.
“Mum and Dad were avid travellers and have journeyed to the Pacific Islands, Australia, Europe, UK, Canada, United States, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia,” said Gill.
“They were also very keen campers and enjoyed touring around New Zealand.”
Laurie is an active member of the Howick/Pakuranga Probus Club.
Pat was in care from 2011 to 2015 when she passed away.
Laurie was living in the family home in O’Halloran Road up until October 2016 and now resides in his own self-contained apartment at Howick Baptist Residential Care.
