Lindisfarne College

Richard Clarkson; 2004-2008
Designer

Richard Clarkson is a senior lighting and furniture designer for his own studio in New York: “I have always had a great curiosity about why things are the way they are. Since childhood I have been fascinated with colour, materiality, shape and form and have tried to explore how the designer arrived at each particular combination of these elements.

“I have found that the thinking behind each object tells a story with so much more depth and emotion than the object itself, this ideology is what drives my design process and has begun to define my style of design. While my foundations lie in furniture and industrial product design I also have interests in media and graphic design as well as photography, fashion, painting and architecture. Along with critical design thinking I have a strong focus on the values of designs, often my work references historical objects whose pride in craftsmanship and durability meant something much more than it does in many of the designs today. When this historical reference is combined with the minimalist digital nature of my design work it creates a ‘harmonious contradiction.’ Core to my design style is this harmonious contradiction theory that certain elements which seem to contradict (a popular example could be eco-friendly vs. low cost of manufacture) can and must harmoniously co-exist and a balance point, it is this point that I strive to find in each of my designs.

Read more about Richard Clarkson Here

Ben Harper; 1998-2004
Restauranteur

Old Boy, Ben Harper, has become a familiar sight to residents of Hawke’s Bay as the front man of his very successful Japanese izakaya restaurant and cocktail bar, Piku, which always seems to be one of the busiest spots in Havelock North.

Ben established Piku, which has become a firm favourite with the local foodie enthusiasts, when he returned from a stint of working in London. The initial outing for the concept was at events like Horse of the Year and the Mission Concert and the response was so enthusiastic that Ben decided to take it a step further and open a restaurant at the Red Barrel Winery in November, 2017. The restaurant has now moved to much bigger premises in Havelock North and added a very popular cocktail bar. Piku has not looked back since and has become extremely popular.

Ben did not go directly into the restaurant business as he studied Biotechnology at Massey University in Palmerston North after leaving school. He then moved to Melbourne where he spent two years working as the manager at a large live entertainment venue in St. Kilda. Broader horizons beckoned and he spent the next few years backpacking through South East Asia and South America before moving on to Canada where he worked in restaurants and on a ski field. Then it was on to London, where Ben worked his way through the ranks in a busy Japanese restaurant in Chelsea until he was the General Manager.

Read More About Ben Harper Here

Sir Joe Williams; 1975-1979
Supreme Court Justice

In 2019 Justice Joe Williams became the first Maori to be appointed to New Zealand’s Supreme Court and later in the year he was knighted for his services to the judiciary. Williams said it was a great privilege to receive the honour. "Not as a reflection of any personal attributes but because of what it says about the mana of this country's highest court and the leadership role that judges appointed to it must play in applying and shaping the law of Aotearoa."

This adds to the list of accolades that he has achieved in his illustrious career including being the youngest appointed Chief Judge of the Maori Land Court, Chairman of the Waitangi Tribunal and a member of the High Court Bench. This level of attainment in the legal world seems far removed from a small provincial school but Justice Williams attributes much of his later success to his education at Lindisfarne: “'The first big difference for me was I went to a school where there was an expectation of me that I wouldn't leave when I was 15 and go be a factory worker. My education at Lindisfarne was crucial in preparing me for the career paths I have chosen in the last 20 years. It would be no overstatement to say that were it not for my years at Lindisfarne, I would have lacked the skills and determination to succeed.”

Read more about Joe Williams Here

Kawa Kawa Fox-Reo; 2011-2015
Actor

Lindisfarne Old Boy, Kawakawa Fox-Reo, has had not one, but two, big breaks in the entertainment world in the last few years. He stars in the Maori supernatural drama, “The Deadlands” which was released on TVNZ On Demand and American streaming service Shudder but he has also landed a great role in the long-running Australian series “Home and Away”.

He plays Nikau, the youngest member of the Parata family who were introduced to the series in 2020 and became the first Maori family to have a major part in the show. Kawakawa’a character, Nikau seems set to become more central as the series progresses as he has recently found out about Colby’s role in Ross Nixon’s murder!

Kawakawa had his very first opportunity on stage at Lindisfarne College when he played Jesus in the production of Godspell, a role he had to be persuaded into by drama teacher Mrs Cathy Aitken. Despite his initial reluctance, Kawakawa gave a wonderful performance and was inspired by this experience to apply to study at Toi Whakaari. While studying, he took the lead role of Daniel Beauxhomme in Once On This Island. Kawakawa’s screen credits include short films Biggie & Shrimp, Krystal, Inside The Cloud and Christmas Eve 1944.