The New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards aim to capture and preserve the history of our country’s farming families. Each month we will share stories from Farmlands shareholders who have worked their land for 100 years or more.
Havelock Haven Sydney Higgins (Emery) purchased land at Havelock in 1885, which has now been farmed by five generations of one family.
time, the family had grown to seven
came to work every day for 12 more
children, so the house was extended
years just as his father had done.
and Eunice developed a lovely garden.
The farm was then bought by
The farm was doing well, so a thrashing
Gordon and Barb in 1986. Gordon
mill and traction engine were purchased
and Barb introduced Merinos on
and more work was taken on around
the steep hills and built up a deer
the district. In the early 1930s, a
herd, starting with fallow deer, then
steel wheeled tractor was bought.
into red Wapiti cross deer, which
The thrashing mill now resides at the
was successful for many years.
Sydney Higgins (Emery) was the sixth child of 11 to pioneer settlers, Sydney and Sarah (nee Sharp).
Brayshaw Park Museum in Blenheim.
In 2014, their daughter, Penny and
In the early 1940s, David took his sons,
her husband, Cavel King helped run
Arnold and Albie into the partnership
the farm while also building up a
Emery and Bertha (nee Russ) had seven children and farming life was busy with bush felling, fencing and seeding. The family homestead was built a couple of years later, which is still there today.
known as D.E. Higgins and Sons.
herd of dairy goats. Penny and Cavel
Arnold and his wife, Nolleen (nee
leased the farm in 2017 and continue
In 1914, the farm was handed over to their second child and eldest son, David Emery Higgins, who in 1912 had married Eunice (nee Edwards). They moved onto the farm with their first born son, Arnold Sydney.
farm from their father and farmed
David and Eunice were good farmers and worked hard on developing the land further – purchasing more land from neighbouring farms. By this
Housiaux) moved into the family
Andrews) and their first son shifted into the family home in 1944.
to milk goats full time, supplying the milk to a cheese factory.
In 1953, Arnold and Albie bought the under Higgins Bros. David would still come to work on the farm and continued with the book work. In 1972, Arnold and Nolleen’s second son, Gordon and his wife, Barb (nee homestead and ran the farm. Then in 1976, a partnership was formed as A.S. Higgins and Son. Arnold still | Thrashing clover, 1917.
| The homestead and farm, late 1980s.
WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ
| Emery and Bertha Higgins.
Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.
THE FARMLANDER | 61
