Mike Armour – ‘here was a town made in Heaven”
The quote is a variation on a description of the Martinborough Music Festival (MMF) made by respected classical music critic, Lindis Taylor, when reviewing the 2019 festival, describing it as “a festival of chamber music made in Heaven”.
It captures one of the many reasons for Mike Armour making Martinborough his permanent home. Mike is the chairman/treasurer of MMF.
Mike was born in Sydney where he received his school education. He came to New Zealand in 1981 with his partner Marg Hanlon and worked for the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand as National Youth Consultant. They returned to Australia for further education and to support their aging parents. During this time Mike graduated with a Master of Business Coaching and Ph.D. in Coaching Supervision from the University of Wollongong (UOW). Mike’s partner Marg Hanlon had gained a First-Class Honours Degree and Ph.D. from UOW and taught at Western Sydney University. Mike’s work background included public and private sector roles in Australia and New Zealand, with much of his career focused on leadership development, coaching and group facilitation.
They had often visited Martinborough enjoying the relaxed environment, local wineries and cafés with friends. The more they visited Martinborough, the more they fell in love with the town, purchasing a property in 2012. In 2019, they became permanent residents. Wanting to cement their links with Aotearoa/New Zealand they became NZ citizens in 2025. The couple have one daughter living in Totara Park and a son living in Melbourne. Both were born in Lower Hutt. They are proud grandparents of a
2 year-old granddaughter. In their spare time, Mike and Marg visit their daughter and granddaughter and Mike continues his interest in Astronomy, having watched the moon landing in 1969, and more recently, world politics.
Mike joined the Martinborough Red Cross group in 2019, supporting a wonderful group who have given decades of service raising money for humanitarian work. In 2023, he joined the Board of the MMF as treasurer and now serves as chairman/treasurer. “We have a fabulous team who bring a wealth of musical experience and knowledge to running our annual Festival”. Mike is not a musician but leading and facilitating the MMF team and giving back to the community is a privilege.
The MMF is a world-class music festival. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, programming broadened from the core of 4 concerts to small events running in the week before the festival – a solo cello and art exhibition, high tea with a duo of cello and guitar, a photographic retrospective, an open rehearsal and a family concert.
Martinborough and the South Wairarapa region have so many great things to offer visitors with events such as Booktown in Featherston, Star Gazing, Mid-Winter Christmas in Greytown, boutique wineries, and great places to eat in a beautiful natural environment. Mike says this year’s Festival has something for everyone. – Visit the MMF website www.mmf.nz for more information.
