Century Farm and Station Awards honour rural families

The Roseveare family: Les Roseveare (left), Valerie Cameron, Dianne Wallace, Allan Roseveare, Noeline McDiarmid and Olive Howard were recognised for operating a farm for more than 100 years at the NZ Century Farm and Station Awards. Photo / Samuel White

Generations of farmers were celebrated in Lawrence on Saturday night at the annual New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards.

More than 200 people packed into Simpson Park Recreation Centre to honour the 36 families receiving an award this year.

The Century Farm and Station Awards recognise families who have operated and lived on the same farmland for 100 years or more.

A sesquicentennial award was also presented to families whose tenure exceeded 150 years.

The descendants of Henry Roseveare, of Clinton, were one of the 30 families receiving the 100-year award.

Allan Roseveare still lives in the original farmhouse built in 1886, although it has been modified and upgraded over the years.

He has lived and worked on the farm all his life and bought it from his father 39 years ago.

While the family has owned the farm since 1901, there was evidence it had been leased by the Roseveares for some years prior.

Mr Roseveare said the land was initially used to grow oats to feed horses working the coaches in Dunedin.

It was a long time before it became a sheep farm.

His sister, Dianne Wallace, also lived on the farm as a child.

It was ''pretty special'' to have the family recognised for its time working and living on the farm.

The family did it for the love of the land and looking after it, Mrs Wallace said.

Six families received the sesquicentennial award including the Matthews family, of Kaitaia, who had lived on their farm for 177 years.

Tribute was also paid to the late Russell Brown who was the patron of the event and started it 12 years ago.

The awards were presented by Primary Industries Associate Minister Louise Upston.

Also present was Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay and Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan.

A brief background of each of the families was read to the crowd, and those attending were treated to a buffet dinner.

Other southern families who received awards included the Allan family (Oamaru), Carruthers (Middlemarch), Emmerson (Tarras), McCall (Waikoikoi), Webb (Cromwell), Drummond (Lumsden), Howe (Wyndham) and Wards (Gore).