For anyone who grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau, attending the Farmers Santa Parade was a rite of passage. Jostling through the crowds to find that perfect spot, the sounds of the bagpipes filling the air and the thrill of watching all the brightly coloured floats cruising past, anticipation building for the grand finale of the big guy in red.
For more than 50 years, these floats have been created by one man: Peter Taylor. He designs and builds each moving masterpiece and has been harnessing the vibrant power of Resene paint to bring them to life for three decades.
His creativity, artistry and building expertise helps bring joy to Aucklanders of all ages during the festive season and he’s regarded as a true legend by those who have had the pleasure of working alongside him over the years.
It all began when Peter left school and started work at the Farmers display department. “Part of our job was to go and work on the Santa Parade and in 1972, I made my first float,” he says. A year later he got the callback to do it all again, and the rest is history.
The magic happens deep beneath the Auckland CBD, in a massive 1400sqm workshop where Peter’s creative concepts are brought to life. “It’s a huge area where all the floats are kept. We’ve got about 30 big floats in here, it’s almost like a calendar of my life,” he shares.