Yet more families apply for Century Farms Awards

Century Farms Awards chairwoman Karen Roughan. Photo / Richard Davison

A rural awards ceremony established to celebrate farming history seems set for a continued future.

The annual Century Farms Awards were started in Lawrence in 2005, with the aim of ''capturing and preserving'' New Zealand's family farming history.

Recipients must have owned and farmed their land within the same family for at least 100 years.

In advance of the 13th event on Saturday night, chairwoman and former recipient Karen Roughan said the awards were in good heart, and there had been no apparent reduction in the number of applicants.

''This year, where we mark the 2017 group, we've actually got a record number [11] of sesquicentennial [150-year] awards to present.

''Alongside our century awards, there are 32 families joining us in total.''

That figure was ''about average'' for the event. The inaugural year had the most, at 53 families.

Hard work had been done to establish and brand the event as a fixture on the Lawrence calendar and the chances of it now moving elsewhere were ''non-existent'', Mrs Roughan said.

''It's enshrined as a concept here in Lawrence. We're steeped in history, from the gold rush onwards, and it's a wholly appropriate place to hold this type of event.''

In part originally conceived as a boost for tourism in the area, typically the 200-plus visiting family members were regaled with historic tours of the surrounds and this year was no exception.

Lawrence locals came together to make it a memorable occasion for all those attending, Mrs Roughan said.

''An event of this scale relies on volunteers and everyone pulling together. Our catering is done by a local restaurant, and we've a raft of behind-the-scenes people who work hard to put it on.''

The next stage for the awards committee was placing Century Farms more permanently on the map, with its own ''wee homestead'', she said.

''We've secured a property on the main street of Lawrence where we're planning to establish a little three-room awards headquarters and visitor centre, which will double as a museum archive for those records.''

That was expected to take place over the next 18 months.

In the meantime, numbers of Century Farm applicants were expected to increase.

''Land that was distributed under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act in 1915 is now starting to filter through, so we're expecting to hold steady for a few more years yet.''