In the 1990s Newsroom’s Investigations editor, Melanie Reid made a television documentary on Sir Tim Wallis. It was filmed over a six-year period when Sir Tim was rapidly building his collection of warbirds. Reid followed him to Britain where he was having part of a WWII Hurricane fighter restored and to Siberia in Russia where he was rebuilding the famous Polikarpov fighters in an old wartime factory.
The documentary also looked at Sir Tim’s pioneering days in the deer industry and his role in developing New Zealand trade with the Russians. Sir Tim died at his Wānaka home on October 17. He was 85. The documentary was made with NZ On Air support.
