Century Farms – Havelock Haven

Havelock Haven

Sydney Higgins (Emery) purchased land at Havelock in 1885, which has now been farmed by five generations of one family.

Sydney Higgins (Emery) was the sixth child of 11 to pioneer settlers, Sydney and Sarah (nee Sharp). 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. 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. David and Eunice were good farmers and worked hard on developing the land further – purchasing more land from neighbouring farms. By this time, the family had grown to seven children, so the house was extended and Eunice developed a lovely garden. The farm was doing well, so a thrashing mill and traction engine were purchased and more work was taken on around the district. In the early 1930s, a steel wheeled tractor was bought. The thrashing mill now resides at the Brayshaw Park Museum in Blenheim. In the early 1940s, David took his sons, Arnold and Albie into the partnership known as D.E. Higgins and Sons. Arnold and his wife, Nolleen (nee Andrews) and their first son shifted into the family home in 1944. In 1953, Arnold and Albie bought the farm from their father and farmed 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 Housiaux) moved into the family homestead and ran the farm. Then in 1976, a partnership was formed as A.S. Higgins and Son. Arnold still came to work every day for 12 more years just as his father had done. The farm was then bought by Gordon and Barb in 1986. Gordon and Barb introduced Merinos on the steep hills and built up a deer herd, starting with fallow deer, then into red Wapiti cross deer, which was successful for many years. In 2014, their daughter, Penny and her husband, Cavel King helped run the farm while also building up a herd of dairy goats. Penny and Cavel leased the farm in 2017 and continue to milk goats full time, supplying the milk to a cheese factory.

| The homestead and farm, late 1980s. | Thrashing clover, 1917.

| Emery and Bertha Higgins.