Century Farms – The making of Mackenzie

The Making of Mackenzie

A book, a movie and hydroelectrics have all played a part in the Hayman farming legacy.

“Tasman Downs Station” was purchased by Walter Hayman (1861-1934) in 1915. Walter employed a manager until 1920 when his son, John Edgar (Jack) (18881956) and wife, Lilian took over the reins. They had three children — Patricia (died aged 3 of a burst appendix in 1919), Betty (died aged 21 of encephalitis in 1938 whilst at Otago University) and Bruce who survived until he was 88. The station was 1,800 acres and grew wheat, oat and chaff, mainly to feed the horses that ploughed the paddocks. The farm had sheep and a few cattle but the winters were very tough and rabbits were a big burden. Lilian, a qualified teacher, started a school in 1923 for the local children from Braemar and Guide Hill Stations. Altogether 75 pupils, including Betty and Bruce, received their primary education. For the last 10 years, 10 children at a time from all parts of New Zealand were boarders, until the school closed in 1945. Bruce, the sole surviving child, boarded at Timaru Boys’ High School for his high schooling, then in 1941, against his parents’ wishes, enlisted with the RNZAF. He was a Wellington bomber pilot during WW2. Returning from WW2, Bruce farmed alongside his father for 7 years before Jack and Lilian retired to Timaru. The

| Tasman Downs, 1930.

| Walter and Elizabeth Hayman with family, 1900.

farm was still a sheep farm until 1996 when the sheep were sold. Bruce married Tonie and had four children – Alan, Bernard, Nicola and Wendy. He married Linda Jean Cargo 18 years later and had two children, Jane and Ian. The raising of Lake Pukaki in 1954 and 1976 for hydro development has decreased the land area from 1,800 acres to just 1,100. After the second raising, all the farm buildings had to be relocated to higher ground and a new homestead was built. Linda home-schooled Jane and Ian until 9 years of age when they were sent to boarding school. Upon

| Jack and Lilian Hayman on Harley Davidson motorcycle.

completing high school, Ian returned to Tasman Downs to work alongside his father until his passing in 2008. Bruce completed his book, “The Nut That Changed My Life”, the previous year. The farm is now run by Linda and Ian Hayman and Nicola Homsey. Their son, Archie is away at boarding school but still has a keen interest in the farm. Tasman Downs runs Angus cattle, sells oats and Ian operates Ian’s Quirky Tours. Tasman Downs was the location of Laketown in the Hobbit movie and featured on Country Calendar in May 2017, entitled “A bit of a dag”.