EDITORIAL

Celebrating generations on the land

It is an absolute delight to open a publication like Heritage Quarterly and read about the New Zealand Century Farm and Stations heritage award. The headline for this piece is not mine; it belongs to Century Farms, and it epitomises what they achieve for heritage. I have a very strong personal connection to Century Farms with my wife’s family the very proud recipient in 2005 of this award for their farm and property at Broadlands, Wilson Crossing Road, Southland. It was a very proud day for the family, as it has been for the many other families who have sought this important heritage recognition for their longstanding endeavors. Century Farms has a rightful place in New Zealand’s heritage. The stories of the early farmers who cultivated and transformed Aotearoa New Zealand’s land into the rich agricultural industry that exists today deserve to be acknowledged. It is recognition not just for the toil and hard work of the past, but also for the present and those that produce crops and livestock on the land with the same passion, hard work and perseverance shown in those early days. The annual and most recent award ceremonies in Lawrence were very well attended and the pride for the recipients is infectious. The town itself has a very strong connection to the aims of Century Farms to “capture and preserve this important rural history, which might otherwise be lost through the generations.” Lawrence is a heritage town which sprang from the nation's first major gold discovery by Gabriel Read in nearby Gabriel's Gully in 1861. After the discovery, over 11,000 documented people and many others rushed to the area from all over the world. The massive influx provided a huge impetus to agriculture. As well as providing a market for produce, immigrants brought their own varied ideas and skills to farming. With Century Farms being in its 15th year, over 500 families from throughout New Zealand have become part of its group of centenarians and sesquicentenarians. The late Russell Brown from Lawrence heard of the initiative through some North American visitors and launched the programme. Initially recipients were mainly from Otago/Southland, but word has continued to spread throughout the country, with these days a fairly even split from the North and South Island. It is people like Russell who keep heritage alive and we continue to applaud their efforts. n

Andrew Coleman Chief Executive