History of Terrace Station
John Hall, initially in partnership with his brothers George and Thomas, took up the lease of 20,000 acres near Windwhistle, in 1853. This block was first taken up in 1851 by Mark Stoddart, the father of the well-known painter, Margaret Stoddart. It was named Rakaia Terrace Station after the extensive terraces along the north side of the Rakaia River. The Hall brothers went their separate ways, and John leased the property to Henry Phillips of Rockwood and Thomas Potts, later to be recognised as a pioneer conservationist and the original owner of Ohinetahi.
In 1862 Hall bought the lease to the adjoining 10,000 acres, The Selwyn Station. This eastern block had been taken up by Thomas Sanderson and George Brayshaw in 1851 and sold to the Studholme brothers in 1853. They also had The Point station at Windwhistle.
John used the small Studholme house as his home when at Hororata but used the name Rakaia Terrace Station to refer to the whole 30,000 acres which were farmed as one property. Freeholding the land was the most important step in anchoring Hall and his family to Rakaia Terrace Station. His goal was to purchase the whole property. He secured his first sections in 1863 and by 1878 had bought nearly all the run.
Faced with increasing land tax payments and legislation which disadvantaged owners of large properties, Hall sold most of his land prior to his death in 1907. His eldest son, Wilfred, retained the 3,400 acres he had been running as a separate farm named Farfield where he later built his home called Gunyah. The youngest son, Godfrey, remained in the homestead and farmed the other retained land of 2,600 acres. The property on which the homestead stands has since then been called Terrace Station.
This block was subdivided between Godfrey's three children in the 1950s and in 1971 Kate and the late Richard Foster took over ownership of 1100 acres. They subdivided from their working farm approximately 9 hectares of land on which are sited the homestead, manager's house and twenty 19th century farm buildings. In 2010 this was transferred to the Terrace Station Charitable Trust that the Fosters established as they believed Terrace Station is as important to New Zealand as it is to the family.
In 1862 Hall bought the lease to the adjoining 10,000 acres, The Selwyn Station. This eastern block had been taken up by Thomas Sanderson and George Brayshaw in 1851 and sold to the Studholme brothers in 1853. They also had The Point station at Windwhistle.
John used the small Studholme house as his home when at Hororata but used the name Rakaia Terrace Station to refer to the whole 30,000 acres which were farmed as one property. Freeholding the land was the most important step in anchoring Hall and his family to Rakaia Terrace Station. His goal was to purchase the whole property. He secured his first sections in 1863 and by 1878 had bought nearly all the run.
Faced with increasing land tax payments and legislation which disadvantaged owners of large properties, Hall sold most of his land prior to his death in 1907. His eldest son, Wilfred, retained the 3,400 acres he had been running as a separate farm named Farfield where he later built his home called Gunyah. The youngest son, Godfrey, remained in the homestead and farmed the other retained land of 2,600 acres. The property on which the homestead stands has since then been called Terrace Station.
This block was subdivided between Godfrey's three children in the 1950s and in 1971 Kate and the late Richard Foster took over ownership of 1100 acres. They subdivided from their working farm approximately 9 hectares of land on which are sited the homestead, manager's house and twenty 19th century farm buildings. In 2010 this was transferred to the Terrace Station Charitable Trust that the Fosters established as they believed Terrace Station is as important to New Zealand as it is to the family.
