Swiss Abroad seeking love: a legacy in New Zealand

Dorothe and her husband Christian stand in the middle of the Padrutt clan. (Both with sunglasses) SRF

Over 60 years ago, Hanni Padrutt left Switzerland for New Zealand, creating the foundation for a thriving Swiss-Kiwi family. Her journey began with an unusual advert that would change her life forever.

Finding love through an advert

SRF

In the 1960s, Max Padrutt, a cheesemaker from Arosa, placed an advert in the Swiss farmers’ newspaper Die Grüne: “Swiss abroad seeks girlfriend in New Zealand.” Max had returned to Switzerland to buy a car and, hopefully, find a companion for his new life overseas.

Hanni, a 24-year-old from Winterthur, had long dreamed of going abroad. On impulse, she responded to the advert: “If I’d waited, the letter would’ve ended up in the fire,” she said.

Max originally came back to Switzerland to buy a new car. He also found love in Hanni. PADRUTT Private Collection

When Max visited her, Hanni was nervous but charmed. Soon after, they became engaged, and Max returned to New Zealand with both a car and a fiancée.

A new beginning in New Zealand

Hanni and Max travelled to New Zealand for five weeks on this ship. PADRUTT Private Collection

The couple travelled by ship for five weeks, each in separate cabins, united by their hopes for a better future. Both had modest upbringings and saw New Zealand as a land of opportunity.

They began as farm workers and eventually bought their own dairy farm in Taranaki, raising six children. “There was a lot going on every day,” said Hanni. “They were tough but happy years.”

Life was hard but happy: Hanni and Max with their cows. PADRUTT Private Collection

Sadly, Max passed away at 60 due to a brain tumour. Despite the loss, their family flourished, continuing the legacy they had built together.

Swiss connections across generations

Years later, their son Christian met Dorothe, another Swiss native who came to New Zealand as an au pair in the late 1980s. Adjusting to life on a farm was not easy for Dorothe, who struggled with homesickness and language barriers.

“I had no farming experience, and I barely spoke English,” she recalled. At one point, homesickness almost drove her to return to Switzerland. But Christian’s support and her determination helped her stay and embrace her new life.

Er ist leider viel zu früh verstorben: Max Padrutt mit seiner Kinderschar. PADRUTT Private Collection

When Christian’s brother Mario later met Anja, another Swiss au pair, Dorothe was there to guide her. Like Dorothe, Anja faced homesickness when she moved to New Zealand. But her bond with Dorothe helped her adjust.

A unique Swiss-Kiwi identity

Today, the Padrutts’ descendants maintain close ties to their Swiss heritage. Hanni’s grandchildren speak Swiss German and ski on Mount Taranaki, where the family helps operate a ski lift.

The granddaughters and grandsons are incredibly proud of their Nenna. SRF

Reflecting on her journey, Hanni, now 88, said, “I never wanted to go back home. I always liked it in New Zealand.” Her decision to respond to Max’s advert created a close-knit Swiss-Kiwi family that continues to thrive.

Swiss emigrants in New Zealand

Around 7000 people with a Swiss passport live in New Zealand. The country is six times the size of Switzerland, but has only 5 million inhabitants. 

New Zealand has always been a country of immigration. The indigenous people, the Maori, came to New Zealand from Polynesia at the time of the Rütli Oath.

The first Swiss to settle in New Zealand was the painter John Webber, son of a sculptor from Bern.

in 1776, Webber joined James Cook’s last expedition to the South Seas. Since then, thousands of other Swiss have followed him. 

Some tried their hand as gold diggers, but most settled in New Zealand with the dream of owning their own farm.

One of them was Felix Hunger from Graubünden, who founded the first Swiss community near Mount Taranaki in 1875 with 24 compatriots.

Translated from German using DeepL/amva