New Zealand Dairy Industry Pioneer’s Original Farm Placed On The Open Market For The First Time

A prime cattle grazing block once owned by a former New Zealand dairy industry leader and one of the Hauraki Plains’ earliest farming founders has been placed on the market for sale.

One of the titles in this 81.6-hectare block at Kopuarahi was owned by former dairy industry leader Sir William Hale who not only represented New Zealand’s farming sector on the world stage for its meat and diary products, but also ensured the industry was in a healthy state domestically.

Born in Thames in 1883, William Hale left school at an early age, and took up farming work at Puriri, before he drew a property allocation at Kopuarahi in the first land ballot in 1910. William Hale lived on the same farm until his death in 1968, being the only person of the first ballot to be still living on his property at the time of his death.

William Hale’s long associations with Hauraki Plains local body affairs commenced in 1914 and he served for 18-years as a member of the Thames Hospital Board, 13 of these being chairman. In 1916 he became a director of the Thames Valley Co-operative Dairy Company.

A few years later the Thames Valley Co-operative Dairy Company amalgamated with the New Zealand Dairy Company, and in 1921 William Hale became a director - holding the office until he retired in August 1958 - a term of 37-years.

During his period as chairman, William Hale made several trips to the United Kingdom to negotiate the price for bulk purchasing of New Zealand dairy produce. William Hale became renowned for his hard bargaining powers

He was chairman of the Auckland Farmers Freezing Company for many years during the 1940s, and also served on the New Zealand Meat Board. On the local Hauraki Plains scene, he took active interest in the development of the district, and for five years was a member of the Horahia Drainage Board.

William Hale spent 10-years on the Hauraki Plains County Council, and during his term of office water supply for the eastern area of the Hauraki Plains was undertaken. He was respected for his forcefulness and frankness in proposing schemes for the benefit of the early settlers, and worked extremely hard to implement them.

William Hale received the C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1950, and the received a knighthood in 1958. Since passing away in 1968, Sir William Hale’s property at Kopuarahi has only been farmed by two other owners.

Now the 81.6-hectare grazing block at 1944 and 1982 State Highway 25 at Kopuarahi is being marketed for sale by tender through Bayleys Ngatea, with the tender closing on December 6. Salespeople Karl Davis and Lee Carter said the flat contoured property consisted of two combined rectangular land titles – separated into 47 paddocks by electric fencing in a combination of seven-wire post and batten and two wire-electric fences.

Operated as a grazing block, the Kopuarahi farm has stocked up to 250 beef units in spring, with the current operation consisting of buying in cattle at 18-months old to fatten.

Meanwhile, the farm’s two comfortable residences comprise Sir William Hale’s original 150-square metre four-bedroom villa homestead built in 1912, and a 105-square metre three-bedroom single-storey staff dwelling built in the 1960s. Both homes are currently tenanted, with the tenants expressing a keenness to stay on subject to negotiations with any new owner.

Lee Carter said that this property is in an excellent location - being handy to excellent schools, fishing, beaches, and popular bush trails.

“With the current conversation around sustainable farming you want a farm that has a proven record of growing grass with low inputs - this is a property you need on the Christmas list if you’re in the market for good support land” he said.

Listing agent Karl Davis also noted: “The property comprises naturally fertile clay soils requiring minimal nitrogen input to produce substantial volumes of grass.”

“The block is suitable for not only grazing and cropping but could also sustain a larger lifestyle property with multiple dwellings to take advantage of 360-degree vistas which extend to mountain ranges in both the east and west. With the option to purchase the 42-hectare and 39-hectare blocks individually, or as one combined block, it provides great options for a syndicate or family to grab a slice of rural New Zealand,” said Davis.

The Kopuarahi locale is situated equally distant between Ngatea and Thames which provides the Nationally regarded Hauraki Plains College in Ngatea for education and a larger centre in Thames for grocery shopping or a hospital.

Tenders for the property close at 4pm on the 6th December 2022. Contact Karl Davis or Lee Carter for further information.

Click here for more information on this listing.

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