Century Farms – Totara gives pioneers access and income

Totara gives pioneers access and income

A densely wooded block near Taihape in time became a thriving dairy farm.

Around 1890, the government surveyed a block of near-flat land within the Taihape area into 200-acre blocks suitable for dairy farms. John George Collins and his wife, Enid Annie were allocated two blocks in the survey in 1895. The only access to the farms was across a fallen totara tree spanning the Moawhango River, wide enough to carry a horse and cart. All the blocks were in solid native trees – totara, maire, matai, kahikatea, lancewood, five finger, cabbage, etc. The bush was so dense that the milking cows had to have a bell around their neck to be found for each milking. John also acquired two of the adjoining blocks after the owners found the task of felling the bush too daunting. He built his first house with hand split totara, corrugated roof and chimney. Unfortunately, a fire caught the building and everything was lost, including many early records. In 1903, John rebuilt a modern homestead to cater for his growing family. In 1904, 5 acres was given for a school that is still there today, and later 4 acres was used for the house for the local “roadman”. Early income came from the totara trees. Totara sleepers were hand split and pushed into the Moawhango River to float down into the Rangitikei River, where they were trapped at Bulls so they could be used for the Main Trunk railway line that arrived at Taihape in 1904. After the war, John retired back to Palmerston North and the farm was taken over by three of his sons. The eldest, Douglas received the homestead and original three blocks, whilst the other boys each received one of the remaining blocks on which they built their own houses. In 1929, Douglas married Edith Alexandra Symes from Alexandra and they had three children – Anna (Gay), Enid (Lorraine) and Douglas (Gordon). In 1967, Gordon married Myra Ann Smith from Rotorua. Douglas and Edith retired to Taupo, at which time Gordon and Myra took over the homestead blocks with the other blocks subsequently sold to neighbours. They raised four children – Mark (deceased at five years), Julie Ann, Todd Ashley and Sharon Lee. In 2003, Todd married Natasha Marlee Stratford from Dannevirke. They have two children, Sienna and Joshua. In 2016, Todd and Natasha took over the running of the farm in conjunction with purchasing an additional 200 acres which allowed Gordon and Myra to continue residing in the original homestead.

| John and Enid with their growing family (there were three sets of twins). | Homestead built in 1903.

| Todd and Natasha with their children,

Joshua and Sienna, 2018.