Lindsay Chitty’s life has many dimensions: veterinarian, stamp and post card collector and more recently an innovator in animal husbandry leading him to
become a successful international entrepreneur and investor.
Lindsay shared his life with the club on Wednesday giving a fascinating account of his ancestry, upbringing in the wilds of the Waikato, time at Massey University, a long career of veterinary service in and around Otorohanga and then to Wellington, punctuated by international excursions to collect and exhibit his real passion: stamps and postcards.
Lindsay has a world class collection of Japanese prisoners of war postcards some of which he had on display for members.
His collection also includes the Great White Fleet, US Navy ships sent by President Teddy Roosevelt on a goodwill tour of the world. Ships from the fleet visited Auckland in 1908, and it is still recalled in the heart of the King Country how an American tug of war team, previously undefeated, succumbed to the strength of the mighty Mooloo men.
Lindsay practised as a vet from 1970 to 2009, on his own account and then in partnerships and in a commercial company which is where he developed an interest in reproductive technologies for animals. The company now sells artificial insemination technologies to many countries generating a turnover of over $60 million in a good year.
Lindsay has held many Rotary offices at club and district level and is a well respected judge in philately. He also has his own stamp, a considerable honour for a man with a passion for collecting them.
Lindsay has a very comprehensive and interesting website: https://lindsaychittyphilatelist.nz/