Fun and friendship add up
02 May 2025
Chartered Accountant Hamish Matheson (10897) once had grand thoughts of working as a CFO for a hotel chain on a tropical island.
In the real world, he’s celebrating three years living and working back in his hometown of Christchurch after nearly two decades in Blenheim.
After leaving College, Hamish completed a Bachelor of Hotel Management at Lincoln University before heading overseas to work in a ski shop in Vail, Colorado with a group of other Old Boys, followed by two years in London.
After returning to Christchurch, Hamish went back to Lincoln to get his accounting major and later became a Chartered Accountant, initially working for BDO.
Keen for a change, he and wife Sarah had often holidayed in the Marlborough Sounds so decided to settle in Blenheim where he joined a private accountancy firm. In 2014 he also became a Justice of the Peace.
“Blenheim was a great place to bring up young kids and we loved getting out boating in the Sounds and hunting in the Marlborough hills. But our four kids were heading to high school, so we decided it was time to move back to Christchurch for more education options and to be closer to family,” Hamish says.
In quick time, they bought Grant Rae Chartered Accountant Limited, renaming it Matheson Rae Chartered Accountants, and Sarah landed a part-time job as a nurse in College’s Health Clinic.
“It’s been great to reconnect with old friends and the Old Boys network has been extremely helpful both professionally and personally. We have had numerous referrals from Old Boys and a lot of the growth of the practice is because of that support,” Hamish says.
Keen to give back, Hamish has joined the CCOBA committee. He says it’s important to be involved.
“I really enjoyed my time at Christ’s College, and I think the older you get, the more you realise what a fantastic opportunity it was. Many of my close friends are from school.
“I’ve gone to a quite a few of the CCOBA events over the years. They’ve always been great fun. At the Long Lunch, for instance, you can talk to an Old Boy who’s 25 years old and the next moment you’ll be chatting with a 90-year-old.”
The Matheson family is no stranger to Christ’s College – eldest son Will is in Year 12, Gus in Year 10 and the third, Archie, is heading to Year 9 in 2026 with his twin, Rose, off to Rangi Ruru Girls’ School.
