'I always seem to get the oldest bike to use so, when it was time to upgrade, Philip organised for my name to go on the back without me knowing. I paid him back when his needed to go in for a service, ‘Fill-Up’ was added... to the amusement of the locals.'

Anne Munro

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HISTORY

Anne discovered Wairewa Station earned its name from a local Maori tribe while attending a local Maori myths and legends course. The name Wairewa translates to 'sweet water' which, along with the neighbouring property Manahuni, was a resting place for the tribe as they travelled up from Arowhenua on the east coast to gather food from the area.

Wairewa, as a farming property, came about at the end of WW2 when the Government purchased Waratah (a part of the larger Rollesby Station, Burkes Pass) and divided it into two. The Government then offered these two properties, Waratah and Wairewa, to Returned Servicemen as 33 year lease ballot blocks. Mr Jack McIntosh won the ballot for Wairewa and farmed the property for a few years before returning to the UK and handing the management over to his brother-in-law, Mr Les Pearce, in the 1950s. Mr Pearce described Wairewa as being the most neglected farm in the district. It took him over a month to find out how many sheep there were as the only stock proof fence was the Lands and Survey Department fence that ran up through the centre of the property. It was an ongoing battle to keep the stock mustered up and contained in one area.

Eleven years later, with improved fencing and hard work he had increased the ewe numbers and proudly managed to add an extra 2 pounds (1kg) per sheep to his wool weights. Sadly, when the owners decided to sell, Mr Pearce and his family were unable to raise the £54,000 pounds ($108,000) to purchase the property and it was purchased by the Hogg family on 1 July 1965.

Gavin & Janet Hogg transformed the then two bedroomed wooden bungalow into a three bedroomed brick home for their expanding young family. Later, when finances allowed, they again expanded the home to its existing size of five bedrooms. In 1980, the Hoggs freeholded the property for $65,000 and continued to farm Wairewa faithfully improving the fencing & fertility of the property until Ray and Clare Sutherland took it over 1991. The Sutherland's put a lot of effort into sub-dividing the tussock blocks before selling it on to Philip and Anne Munro in July 1994.

FARM LOCATION

Wairewa Station comprises a balance of paddock and oversown native tussock and enjoys a moderate climate year-round.

The station is located near Albury on the back road to Mackenzie and Burkes Pass in the middle of the Mackenzie District.

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