The Auckland/Northland Division of the Cancer Society provides support for people with cancer and their whānau.

The Auckland/Northland Division has been helping people with cancer and their whānau since 1929.

 

1929: Established

1930: Consultation Clinic was established

1932: A follow up programme and register of all cancer cases seen at the Clinic

1933: The appointment of a Radiological Physicist was made

1935: A national publicity campaign was launched. Auckland organised the distribution of “The truth about cancer” booklet to professionals such as doctors and district nurses.

1939: Research was began in order to collate statistics from the clinic’s across the country to establish a correlation into the incidence of cancer

1944: Education campaign using women’s organisations to help make the public aware of the need for early diagnosis and treatment of cancer

1947: First public appeal campaign as run after the war, with the catch phrase of ‘Fight cancer with knowledge’. It aimed to raise funds to set up an Information Bureau and to introduce cancer education to the region

1950: Cancer research in Auckland began when Dr J.F Burton was granted a Cancer Research Scholarship in Pathology

1955: Patients from out of town requiring treatment had beds secured in private hospitals or convalescent homes with the division paying the costs

1962: Patients were accommodated at the Salvation Army Hotel, where the welfare of the patients was foremost in the Hotel Staff’s minds

1968: The division obtained its own headquarters and these premises housed office staff but also a cancer detection clinic

1978: Domain Lodge motel complex was purchased

1979: Celebration of the 50th Jubilee

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/bl-KsMv0HJM?autoplay=0&modestbranding=1&rel=0

The constitution are the rules that the Auckland/Northland Cancer Society work under:

Auckland/Northland constitution 2020

Our Strongest Supporters

Candace Kinser (Chair)

Candace Kinser is an accomplished executive, business advisor and company director with expertise in technology strategy, data analytics, international business development and capital markets. She is currently on the boards of Punakaiki Fund, Helius Therapeutics, Eastland Group and Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC).

Candace has had over 15 years of experience in governance on a range of not for profits, NZX listed companies and government agencies. As the former CEO of NZTech, Candace launched NZTechWeek and Women in Tech. 

She has undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and Political Science from the University of Hawaii, a Masters in Management from Massey University and an MBA in BioPharma from Rutgers University in New Jersey. Candace is a Chartered Member of the NZ Institute of Directors and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Corporate Directors.

Julian Grennell (Deputy Chair)

Julian is a professional economist and management consultant with 20 years' financial management and advisory experience in the management consulting, health, energy, telecoms, infrastructure and financial services sectors. His roles have included time with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Brookfield Asset Management. He is currently a senior executive with an ASX-listed finance technology company. Julian is a Member of Cancer Trials New Zealand's Advisory Group (University of Auckland), and is a trustee of the Davis Carr Cancer Society Endowment Trust.

 

Ziena Jalil

Ziena Jalil is a business and public sector leader with nearly 20 years working in New Zealand and Asia. A Consulting Partner for public affairs firm SenateSHJ, she also runs her own consultancy focused on international marketing and business development, and diversity and inclusion.

Prior to joining Senate SHJ, Ziena spent 10 years in Asia, in the roles of Regional Director — South and South East Asia for Education New Zealand, as New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Singapore, and as Head of North Asia Marketing and Communications for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

She has received several international awards for her work promoting New Zealand trade, investment and education in Asia. More recently, she was a finalist in the global category of the New Zealand Women of Influence awards.

Ziena is an advisory board member of New Zealand Asian Leaders, and newly appointed Board member of ATEED. She is member of Global Women; the New Zealand Institute of Directors; and Asia 21; and an established member of Superdiverse Women.

Dr Ben Lawrence

Dr Lawrence specialises in caring for patients with gastro-intestinal cancers. He also has a special interest in caring for patients with cancers in the pancreas and biliary system, neuroendocrine tumours, cancer molecular profiling and cancer genomics.

Ben graduated from the University of Otago with a BSc with first class honours and an MSc with Distinction. He then completed his medical degree at the University of Auckland in 2003 and registered as a specialist in 2011.

He has been recognised with several prizes and scholarships. In 2008 he was awarded the Gavin and Ann Kellaway Medical Research Fellowship to support his time as a Drug Development Scholar at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Scottsdale Arizona, USA. In 2009 he was awarded the Murray Jackson Clinical Fellowship and completed his two-year Research Fellowship at Yale University in Connecticut, USA.

Ben returned to Auckland in 2012 to work as a medical oncologist at Auckland Hospital and also to take up a position as senior clinical research Fellow at the University of Auckland.

Ken Lotu-Iiga

Ken is a barrister and solicitor with a long career in the construction business. A product of the of Fletcher Building Leadership programme he held multiple roles within that company. He is now General Manger of Decimal Construction NZ. He is an experienced director. Currently on the board of Auckland Grammar School. Formerly on the board of North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery Alliance (Kaikoura rebuild) and a former chair of the Counties Manukau Rugby League Zone.

Sally Hughes

Sally is Acting Manager of the Health Improvement Team at Auckland Regional Public Health Service. She has been involved in public health for over 30 years. In that time she has worked in government, non-government organisations and as a health sector consultant. These wide-ranging roles and contracts have exposed her to most of the issues vital to the health of populations. This broad experience has given Sally an appreciation of what makes the health sector tick and how to achieve gains for public health. She joined the Auckland Regional Public Health Service in late 2016 after 5 years at the Heart Foundation. Prior to that Sally had been 10 years at the Ministry of Health in a variety of public health roles.

Tame Hauraki

Tame is currently Kaumatua for the Waitemata and Auckland DHBs, he is co-opt onto the CSAN board, he is currently a nominee of Ngati Whatua. Tame will assist in the implementation of our equity plan and in the development of a true partnership with mana whenua. Tame’s iwi affiliations Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whanaunga.

 

Dr Richard Sullivan

MBChB, FRACP

Dr Sullivan is a Medical Oncologist with a specialist interest in lung cancer, brain tumours and mesothelioma. Richard studied in Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland. He graduated from the University of Otago School of Medicine in 1994 and became a Specialist in 2004.

Richard is currently the Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director of Surgery at Auckland City Hospital. He also holds a number of other positions including, Northern Region Alliance Cancer Lead, Co-Chair Te Aho o Te Kahu, Chair of National AYA Cancer Network, Director at Canopy Healthcare Group and Clinical Lead of Canopy Cancer Care.

He is the principle investigator on several New Zealand lung cancer research trials and also sits on numerous national cancer-related committees and boards including Auckland Northland Cancer Society and Mesothelioma Trust.

Richard focuses on improving experiences and outcomes for his patients and their families when they find themselves embarking on the cancer treatment journey.

 

Debbie Evans

Debbie is passionate about seeing Northlands rural communities thrive, advocating for access to quality health services. Debbie’s experience features in Local Government and Health.  She served four terms as a Director on the Northland District Health Board (Ministerial and elected appointments), is a Chartered member of the Institute of Directors, a Resolution Institute Accredited Mediator and ICF Accredited Coach. She is currently CEO of the Kaipara Community Health Trust, entrusted with 46% ownership of the Dargaville Hospital.

The Northland Regional Committee (NRC)

The NRC are a group of volunteers representing the wider Northland community. Their role is to be the conduit of information between their communities and the Cancer Society.

The work of the Northland Regional Committee is made possible through the skills of committed individuals, all with highly relevant health, commercial or financial expertise.

Lee Iwashita, Marie Berghan, Mary Carthew, Leigh Masefield, Ada Brown, Denise Lemmen, Merle Newlove and Jenni Moore.

With grateful thanks to our lifetime members who have provided so much to Cancer Society over the years.

  • Kerry Bachler
  • Anthony Bacon
  • Bruce Baguley
  • Moya Barr
  • Stuart Bauld
  • Michaela Baxter
  • Joan Baynham
  • Elaine Black
  • Lesley Brennan
  • Nigel Brown
  • Jessica Buddendijk Van Horrik
  • Bill Burgess
  • Leone Burgess
  • Geoffrey Clathworthy MNZM *
  • Maureen Clooney
  • The Honourable Justice Cooper
  • Nola Cooze
  • Jan Dalley
  • Carrick Davidson
  • Marjorie Davidson*
  • William Denny KNZM
  • Akshay (Shay) Desai
  • Jim Dufficy
  • Arvind Dullabh
  • Judy Dysart
  • Karene Gore
  • Lorraine Hampton
  • Patrina Hardie
  • Peter Harwood
  • George Hitchcock OBE, DFC *
  • Enyth Holdgate *
  • Linda Holloway
  • Michael Horton CNZM
  • Edna Johnson
  • Rev. Douglas Kidd *
  • Jonathan Koea
  • Knox Laird
  • Wendel Levens
  • Murray MacCormick
  • Guy Marks
  • Diana Marsh
  • Tom Marshall OBE
  • John Mayo
  • Lavinia McMillan
  • Russell McIlroy
  • Elizabeth Morgan QSM JP
  • Sabine Muller
  • Patricia Noonan
  • Merv Norman *
  • Ravinder Parmar
  • John Partridge
  • Jatin Patel
  • Henry Perkins*
  • J C Probert
  • Graham Scahill
  • Gayleen Scahill
  • Olive Shanks
  • John Shanks
  • Michael Sharp
  • Peter Shepherd
  • Glenys Shepherd
  • Dale Siebert
  • Anne Sinclair
  • Brian Stevenson
  • Joan Swift QSM JP
  • Jennifer Thomson
  • Heather Wheeler
  • Patricia Williams
  • Neen Williams
  • Bill Wilson

* Deceased

Last updated: February 3, 2023