A Wānaka real estate agent and his wife, who had no children, have left a legacy of generosity to the Wānaka community over the past 34 years, worth many thousands of dollars.

The Elsie and Ray Armstrong Charitable Trust closed down in March 2025, after all its remaining funds were divested to community groups.

Trust chair Robin Patterson told the Wānaka App the trust was originally established in 1991 with $200,000 from the Armstrongs.

The couple left their money to the community under the proviso it would go to applicants from the Wānaka Ward of Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) for “the purpose of providing assistance and relief to the sick, frail and disadvantaged persons and any other charitable purpose beneficial to the community in the area”.

Robin said the trustees distributed grants to approximately ten applicants a year, some of which were Kahu Youth, Riding for the Disabled, Otago Plunket Society, Mint Charitable Trust, Wānaka Preschool, and Mt Aspiring Netball Club.

“The decision to wind up the trust was taken because the trustees felt that the purpose of the trust was better served by giving a substantial amount to some specific organisations rather than, over a few years, distributing the capital until we reached a point where all the money was gone,” he said.

Robin, who has been a trustee for almost ten years, estimated that the trust would have distributed approximately five to six thousand dollars a year for some time, and the final divestment was of $360,000.

Organisations which received larger amounts in the winding up process were the Stroke Foundation of NZ (to be spent in the Upper Clutha), Rad Community Trust, the Mount Aspiring College Foundation, the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (to assist with the establishment of housing units for seniors), Central Otago Health Services Ltd (for a LifePac 35 system for the Upper Clutha area), and the Upper Clutha Children’s Medical Trust.

“Elsie and Ray's generosity has helped so many Upper Clutha residents over the last 30 years, particularly tamariki,” trustee Simon Telfer said.

“The substantial grants we recently made to the Mt Aspiring College Foundation, Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust and the Central Otago Health Services will ensure their legacy lives on for many decades yet.

“We are very fortunate that those who have benefited from living in the Wānaka community often choose to give back so generously.”

The deed to set up the trust, along with other records, was lost in a fire at a local law firm, Robin said. Unfortunately the trust didn’t have any photographs of the Armstrongs.

PHOTO: Supplied