2 publishers · first seen Wed, 28 Oct 2026 23:00 UTC · updated Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:20 UTC
Two screenings of the film *The History of NZ Farmers Co-op*, made by Rangiora filmmakers Tom McLaren and Norma McLaren, have sold out at the Rangiora Museum on October 22 and a second date to be held this Sunday at 2pm. The film, which depicts the transition from the New Zealand Farmers Co-op to the modern Farmers department store, is the 11th historical film by the couple and has been used as a fundraiser for the museum, with a third screening likely in the New Year.
Tom and Norma, both volunteers at the museum, spent 10 months researching and composing the script, using materials from the museum archives. The couple have a personal connection to the company, with Norma having worked in the main office starting in 1955 and Tom beginning as a mechanic apprentice in 1951, when he had a brief but memorable encounter with the company’s general manager, known to staff as 'God'.
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