44 | Century Farm gong Moeraki Station in the South Wairarapa been honoured with a Century Farm Award after nearly 170 years in the family. Rosa Watson RURAL PEOPLE » Moeraki Station Moeraki Station in the South Wairarapa has been honoured with a Century Farm Award after nearly 170 years in the family. The Century Farm Awards are held in Lawrence, Otago each year and are awarded to families that have been farming their property for over 100 years. Owner Jack Cameron said it was certainly an honour to be recognised. The 3273-hectare property has never been sold, passing down the generations from the original owner, Alexander Robertson Sutherland, to the current owners, Jack and his brother Daniel. The family first arrived and settled on the station – known as Ngaipu Station – in the 1850s. In 1856 Alexander Sutherland purchased 4509 acres from the Crown and then later another 10,304 adjoining acres. Over the years the property had several names - Upper Pahaoa, Pahaoa Sutherland and then Ngaipu. It was eventually split off and Jack’s great grandfather took over what is now Moeraki Station in the 1890s after marrying Alexander’s granddaughter, Elizabeth. Originally the property mainly farmed sheep for wool. Cattle were introduced later on. The history is well-documented with farm and family diaries and documents kept since 1898, when Dan and Elizabeth Cameron started farming Moeraki. These days, winter stock numbers on the 8000acre property is at 15,000 sheep and cattle. “We’re predominately a sheep and cattle property.” However, there is now the addition of a bit of cash cropping and manuka honey production. Manuka Health take care of the hives and the property gets royalties and a percentage of the profit. There is also 235 hectares of pine forestry operation, which both brothers are involved in, while Jack also runs the farming side of things. But the majority of the property is breeding and finishing operation, Jack said. “We run from about 150 feet to 1850 feet. It’s a hard bit of country up the top but we’ve also got a lot of easier mudstone country as well. “A lot of it is stony terrace flats, and also river silt loam flats and clay country. “Half the property is quite extensive hill country.” In addition to the station, a couple of other blocks are leased and are used mainly for finishing. Moeraki Station also does a “fair bit of trading”, buying and fattening stock throughout the year, Jack said. In the future there are plans to establish a private hunting operation, with the property home to plenty of deer and pig. But this is in its infancy at this stage. Jack said the family had so far been fortunate with succession throughout the generations without having to carve up the property. “That’s what has working for us. Up until now it’s worked pretty well.” Brother, Dan, who has a legal background and lives in Wellington with his wife, Kate and children Charlotte, James and Georgie.
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