Tim Wallis

Sir Timothy William Wallis (born 9 September 1938) is a New Zealand businessman and aviation entrepreneur. He pioneered live deer capture from helicopters, which led to a significant industry in New Zealand. He was a leader and international representative of the deer farming industry. Wallis also founded the Alpine Fighter Collection and the Warbirds over Wanaka air show.

He was born in Greymouth, on the West Coast to Arthur Trevor and Janice Mildred (née Blunden) Wallis. He was the second of four children, George (March 1935), Adrian and Josephine. His father was a businessman with interests in the timber and sawmilling industry. Wallis's primary education was received at Grey Main School. For his high school education he attended Christ's College, Christchurch from 1952 to 1956 as a boarder. After completing a period of compulsory military training in 1957 he spent 2 terms as a medical student at the University of Canterbury before leaving to take a job at Kopara Sawmilling Company's Haupiri mill.

Pioneer of the live deer recovery industry in New Zealand's South Island, Wallis built an aviation empire around helicopter operations, pulling valuable animals out of the rugged high country. For many years he held monopoly over the rights to commercial hunting in Fiordland National Park. Moving into deer farming during the 1970s, he was among the first to see the potential of the industry in New Zealand and his farm, Criffel, became a centre of excellence for high quality genetics and served as a model for many other farmers. The world's first deer auction was held on his farm in 1977. His company, Alpine Deer Group forged trade relationships in Russia, Korea and Hong Kong that saw exports of velvet, antler and pizzle to Asia. In 1974 he pioneered the first exports of live deer to Taiwan, which in 1975 was followed by the first live deer exports to Korea.

In 1976 he purchased Mararoa station. This was sold in 1987 to Challenge Deer Park.

In 1965 he bought his first helicopter, which he used for commercial work.

A long-time enthusiast, Wallis purchased and restored many World-war II era fighter aircraft, establishing the Alpine Fighter Collection and the New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum.

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