The small South Otago town of Lawrence is preparing for the annual awards dinner this month where the awards committee will formally induct 32 new families who have farmed their land for 100 years or more.
Eleven are families that have kept their farm for 150 years.
Also starting to filter through is land that was distributed under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act in 1915, which allowed returned servicemen to be granted farmland on generous terms and given access to cheap loans to develop them.
Awards chairwoman Karen Roughan said the work ahead of these soldiers was immense.
“Often the land the men were allocated was remote, densely forested with virgin bush and without easy access by road.”
Many of the soldier-settlers lacked farming experience, were undercapitalised and faced long periods of time on their own as they battled to build a new home and develop a sustainable living off their land.
A large percentage gave up and walked off the land, often with hefty mortgages owing.
“We are honoured to have the opportunity to acknowledge the tenacity of those farmers who remained on the land and have persevered over the past 100 years.”
The awards’ purpose is to capture and preserve the family history that might otherwise be lost through the generations.
Families submit narratives of their farm history together with copies of related photographs and supporting documents that are then archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, ensuring all records are kept in perpetuity.
This year will be the first awards ceremony for Roughan as chairwoman although she is a long-serving committee member who has been involved since the initiative’s conception in 2005.
“I am proud to be part of this important annual event in the agricultural calendar.
“Many of our pioneering families contributed greatly to their regions, town and communities, often reshaping at a significant level. “For many, the efforts of their ancestors have been underappreciated or completely unacknowledged and this is a chance to honour these families that have contributed and continue to contribute to NZ’s agricultural industry and economy,” Roughan said. At the awards dinner families have a chance to meet other recipients and formally receive a distinctive bronze plaque and certificate to display on their property.
Applications are now open for the 2018 year and any families that have owned and farmed their land since 1918 or earlier are encouraged to apply.
For more information go to www.centuryfarms.co.nz
