Page 125 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2019 Edition

On Farm

A history of Herefords on

Te Aroha

PHILLIP STEELE’S ANCESTORS

HAVE BEEN FARMING
COMMERCIAL HEREFORDS AT
PEHIRI SINCE THE DISTRICT’S

POST OFFICE OPENED IN 1911.

WORDS / PHOTOGRAPHS KATE TAYLOR

Phillip and Minna Steele have been farming Te Aroha Station since
the early 1990s but the Steele family has been there since 1911.
TE AROHA STATION,
THERE ARE GLIMPSES OF SPIDERY HANDWRITING as Phillip PEHIRI, WEST OF GISBORNE
and Minna Steele thumb through a folder with old letters and
information from the early days of Te Aroha Station. OWNERS: PHILLIP AND MINNA STEELE.
The station, in its original 46,000 acres, was settled by SIZE: 1200ha.
three Morice brothers. It had three houses, one on the site TYPOGRAPHY: 50ha flat, 100ha rolling and the balance
of the couple’s current homestead, and was a fairly extensive medium to steep hills.
operation. “They would muster once or twice a year from the ALTITUDE: 250 to 530m ASL.
Hangaroa River all the way through. It was two years before RAINFALL: 1200mm annual average.
they could put any sheep on because of wild dogs,” Phillip says.
The property is 42km (by road) west of Gisborne. Local Maori STOCK NUMBERS:
called the area Te Aroha, but the Post Office called the area Pehiri CATTLE (2018)
in 1911 so it wouldn’t be confused with Te Aroha in Waikato. By • 329 mixed-age Hereford cows, 157 heifers.
that time, Te Aroha Station was in the hands of Phillip’s great- • 122 R1 bulls and 12 sire bulls.
grandparents, Arthur and Annie Jeffrey. It was then farmed by his SHEEP
grandparents, Alan and Nan (Annie) Steele, his parents, David and • 1347 mixed-age Romney ewes.
Maureen Steele. The precious folder contains first-hand accounts • 919 two-tooths and 1139 ewe hoggets.
of some of that history: Nan’s handwritten notes are a great DEER
reference for the current generation. • 1479 mixed-age hinds.
After completing an ag commerce degree at Lincoln College • 122 two-year hinds and 215 one-year hinds.
and working for five years in Australia, Phillip returned to the • 261 stags and 20 sires.
farm in 1990, marrying Minna in 1994. The couple bought the
neighbouring 430ha farm, Sherbrook, and leased it back to the
family operation. They took on the whole operation in 2005 and
then sold Sherbrook in 2006 to help pay for the home block.
Herefords have been bred on Te Aroha Station since the
time of the Morices.
“It started off as a historic thing,” Phillip says. “My father was
always keen on maintaining the quality of the Herefords and I’ve
inherited a little of that. We also saw an opportunity to supply
dairy service when we finally took over and started doing that
in 2008. That means we leave the bulls entire and take them
through to 12 months.”
The Steeles have been working with Carrfields stock agent Commercial Herefords have been bred on Te Aroha Station for
Glen Forrest since 2008. The current set-up allows them to more than 100 years.
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