150 years of Farming at Rosedale, Waikaka Valley

18/02/2025

15/02/2025

Picture perfect Southland day to celebrate with family & friends - 150 years of farming at Rosedale. Farm tour underway!

08/02/2025

Les Morrison (George Lesley Morrison, or 'Papa' to the grand children) taking a work break under a tree along the avenue (driveway to Rosedale).

08/02/2025

Prize-winning hoggets at Glenellen, December 1935.

08/02/2025

There is a lot of "style" evident in this 1973 photo - from George's tie to Ross Hyland's hairstyle, dress sense and choice of car. Here is hoping that tie might still be in George's collection!

08/02/2025

The first tractor arrived on Rosedale farm in 1937, the same year George was born. It was a crawler, but not many existing horse-drawn farm implements were compatible with mechanised agriculture. To incentivize uptake, tractor dealers would sometime throw-in a free set of harrows with the tractor purchase. George still remembers his Uncle Stan ploughing with Clydesdales, before using the tractor to work the field further. Crawlers enabled steeper and wetter ground to be developed and worked than was possible with horses. In the third picture, left to right, are Les (Papa) Morrison, Michael Deaker, Bruce Morrison, a young Howie Morrison, and George Morrison at the controls of the crawler).

08/02/2025

George "feeding out" hay to sheep on the river flats in the early 70's. Put the truck in low gear and it would idle along nicely - even a five-year old could steer it around the paddock (the first vehicle in which Phil ever took control of the steering wheel while in motion).

08/02/2025

Over the years, farm workers, family and friends have used stock-marking raddle and spray paint to 'register' their name on the rafters and interior of the Rosedale woolshed. From what evidence remains today, it looks like this practice might have been initiated by Alice Crawford in 1929!

08/02/2025

The first Rosedale homestead (on the same site as the current Rosedale homestead). Back in the day, nephews were handy when it came to mowing the lawns (somethings don't change).