Craigmore - History

Craigmore with its dramatic limestone cliffs, ancient drawings, fertile soils and historic buildings is home to the family of Peter and Fiona Elworthy who love the land and are committed to manage it by farming using organic ecological principles to improve the biodiversity and sustainability of the property.

On Craigmore three areas, two small and one large, have been covenanted under the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust. The smallest, the Airini Woodhouse Covenant, contains eight old cabbage trees, tikouka, and approximately eighty young ones, as well as silver tussocks. Te Puke O Tahurua, registered in 1994, is of 1.6762 hectares (4 acres) and contains the Cave of the Eagle, Pouakai. With the aim of restoring the original vegetative species, both of these areas have been fenced to prevent stock access. The largest area, the eighty five hectare (210 acres) Valley of the Moa, O Wahi Moa, containing the Moa and Dog Caves, was registered in 1988. Archeologists from Canterbury Museum excavated moa eggshell, bones of extinct birds and haematite, used as a red colouring. In 1960 both of these two caves were fenced off by the Historic Places Trust. These pre-historic charcoal drawings are unique.

In 1864 Edward Elworthy took up the lease hold run known as Pareora Station which included Craigmore, Gordon's Valley and stretched to the Hunter Hills. Pareora Station was renamed Holme Station, divided and reduced in size. By the late 1880's the Craigmore property was freehold. Today it is 1534.545 hectares in size, that is, 4,200 acres, with 50% being hill blocks and 50% flat to rolling paddocks.

Also purchased in 2001 an adjoining property titled Cleveland of 600 acres (240 hactares). This is organically certified.

The farm stock on Craigmore today is made up of Coopworth sheep (approximately 5000), Angus and Charolais cattle (approximately 700), Wapiti and Red deer (approximately 1500). Undomesticated animals on the property, such as wallabies, possums and rabbits, are controlled. The large numbers of stock on Craigmore are managed by several hardworking families using motorbikes, tractors, horses and dogs.

Five acres on the river flats are planted in herbaceous peonies, a commercial cut-flower crop that is sold in Auckland, Asia, USA and Europe. A tuber crop of named varieties of peonies is sold each year to New Zealand gardeners and growers. The peonies are managed independently from the farm by another family, with seasonal staff when needed.

The bicultural Aoraki Festival of the Arts was held at Craigmore biennially. On the fourth Sunday in September each year spring is celebrated in the Craigmore organic garden with Daffodils and a Maungati Market Day.

In 1906 Edward's son Herbert, and his wife Gladys built the present Craigmore homestead, the architect being Samuel Hurst Seager. The planning of the garden and the trees, many of which still survive, was the work of Alfred Buxton. Social changes caused by the Second World War led Harold and June Elworthy to alter the homestead in 1947. They had the wing housing the servants' quarters removed and they created a garden on the sheltered west side, and they also developed a sunny terrace where the smoking room stood.

Maungati is Maori for mountain or hill of the cabbage tree, and Craigmore is Gaelic for the large limestone cliffs. Limestone sink holes are formed by underground limestone eroding. The district is also known as for its umu ti: large ovens in the ground where Maori cooked the roots and stems of young cabbage trees to make kaura, a carbohydrate food containing fructose. The nearby stream is the south branch of the Pareora River, which runs along one boundary of Craigmore.

CRAIGMORE HISTORY