Monavale Homestead - 1910 - 2010

Animals for the Homestead

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:39:00 GMT

Channing often left for North America to pick up the best Holstein Friesians and Romney Marsh sheep that he could find. He travelled with a stock handler. The beginning herd acquired there was 17 heifers and one bull.

They were bought back to New Zealand by the handler on the old S.S Makura. He bought and raised stock for conformity to improve and sell the stock, not for beef.

He started exhibiting very soon, in Cambridge, Hamilton, and Auckland, then later in the U.S and Mexico City. His stock won scores of ribbons, medals, plates, and cups. He made a name for himself and was able to sell to South Africa, South America, Mexico and the U.S.

Some of the finest cattle and sheep in the world was coming from the Waikato Valley.

Working on the Property

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:05:00 GMT

Channing surrounded all the properties with 7 or 9 high wire fences some with barbed wire. The wooden fence posts were 15 feet apart, and the low wires were put close together so that young lambs could not get through.

Each farm area was divided into ‘paddocks’, which are small fields or pastures. The paddocks were 10, 15, 20, 40 or even 100 acres each. They had a big crew working on all this. They also had to sow much of the land in the particular grasses that they wanted.

Preparing Monavale for Specialty Farming

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:51:00 GMT

Neither Channing or Billie had been raised on a farm, so they had a relatively fresh concept for the area.

They wanted a farm centered on the development, testing, improvement and exhibition of Holstein Friesan cattle and Romney Marsh sheep.

It was not a typical farm, much closer to a modern, government experimental farm, with everything tested and recorded, and it’s purpose was to make money by developing the best stock.

Channing was continually working on better show animals, and higher milk and buttermilk production.

Changing from Law to Farming

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:45:00 GMT

Channing did not return to his law practice. Although he had not been raised to be a farmer, he had been exposed to agriculture by a father who was constantly breeding birds and flowers to perfection.

He leaped in and voraciously read animal husbandry books. He decided to farm in a way that would now be called ‘scientific’ using proven methods to produce superior animals.

Establishing the new farm at Monavale

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:57:00 GMT

Channing’s father Frank picked up much of the land previously around the estate that had long been cleared and was excellent for farming.

They assembled 1000 acres around the old homestead that had mostly been planted in English grasses. A mile away they picked up 700 acres for young stock to graze. Six miles away they had 500 acres from other Buckland properties which they used for pasture for growing steers.

There were shade trees near the house, and creeks and gullies full of the big New Zealand ferns and flowering bushes. There were also several acres of fruit trees.

The Interior of the New Home

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:22:00 GMT

Even though the majority of the home was made out of Kauri, the floor in the main hall was made from dark red Matai wood.

The staircase was made of Kauri. Every third baluster is 8in wide, and has a design scrolled in the middle of it which appears to be a very old Maori design.

The plumbing, electrical fixtures, kitchen equipment and other hardware were all imported from America to get the most modern available then.

Designing the New Home

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:23:00 GMT

When Channing retuned home to Cambridge, he hired another architect A.B. Herrold, who had designed the famous Town Hall, built under his father Frank Buckland’s Mayor ship in 1909.

Herrold designed a similar home for Channing and Billie to the one in the U.S but smaller.

Monavale was built primarily of Kauri wood. The trees then were about ten feet in diameter, and 60 to 80 feet tall, with no branches except at the top. The wood was very clean grained and some of the planks were up to 18 inches wide.

The New Homestead

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:51:00 GMT

Channing and Billie built a new home with all the modern conveniences, mostly imported from the U.S.A.

Channing travelled to Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, to visit Theodore Roosevelt and was taken by the design of Teddy’s (Theodore) home, Sagamore (which is now a State Park).

Teddy allowed Channing to hire the same architect, and to use the same design to build his new Homestead at Monavale in Cambridge New Zealand.

The Purchase of Monavale

Fri, 14 May 2010 03:50:00 GMT

In 1910 Channing and Billie left their small house in Cambridge and bought the Monavale property which had an old farm house on it.

“Billie told a story about getting rid of the old farmhouse to build the new one.

Evidently Channing went onto the old, empty house, and ripped wallpaper loose on the walls. He then started to set fire to the paper, but the dry old house almost exploded, and he barley made it out the door with his life.”

A Keen Gardener!

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:19:00 GMT

After Elizabeth Jane had died Frank moved in with Channing and Billie at Monavale Homestead.

'Now granddad Frank could pursue unfettered his hobby of many years.

Channing built him a fairly large greenhouse, and tilled him ten acres of good soil to propagate all varieties of plants and Frank's best known success was the development of the King Alfred daffodil.'

A Family Loss

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:13:00 GMT

Channing and Billie left their comfortable and successful land development business in Vancouver with their son Frank.

Upon arriving in Cambridge, Billie helped in the nursing of her mother-in-law and Channing returned to the law business with his father. Channing and Billie's daughter Elizabeth (Betty) was born in 1910.

In 1911 Elizabeth Jane (Channings mother) succumbed to her illness and passed away.

A Man of Influence and Action!

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:21:00 GMT

Under the watch of William Francis Buckland (Frank) Cambridge acquired many important civil developments and assets.

This included the Town Hall, town water supply, saleyards, street paving, the Victoria Bridge, gas works, post office, sewerage system and the Technical and Manual Training School.

A Close Knit Family

Sun, 09 May 2010 21:51:00 GMT

To Frank and his wife Elizabeth Jane their family was very important, and all were very active in many areas of the community.

Frank and Elizabeth shared a great love for flowers.

‘In 1909 Elizabeth became ill. Frank wrote to his son Charles Channing, in Vancouver, British Colombia, and asked him and his wife Gertrude (Billie) to return to help look after them and the family holdings.’

The Bucklands of Waikato

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:05:00 GMT

William Francis Buckland (Frank) was Mayor of Cambridge between 1898-1903 and from 1905 to 1910.

‘Frank was practical and energetic in the administration of the Cambridge Borough, and strongly pushed his concept of bringing the town into the 20^th Century…..he brought both necessities and amenities to the town of Cambridge.’

The Monavale Estate

Sun, 09 May 2010 21:49:00 GMT

In 1870 Messrs Walker and Douglas acquired title of all their land known as Moana-tua-tua Estate and it soon became apparent that their drainage program was going to pay off.

During the 1870's as a result of several incidents of hostility shown by the Maoris towards the intrusion of the 'Pakehas' onto their tribal lands, Mr Walker decided to protect the homestead by digging a deep trench and erecting a high wall round the homestead with loopholes for rifles. An underground tunnel was also constructed to connect with the out-buildings.

The management of "Mona Vale" was handed to Thornton Walker (E.B. Walker's eldest son) and his co-owner John Benn in 1880, and in 1896 the estate was subdivided and sold.

Original Burnt

About this itime Charles Channing Buckland obtained 800 acres of Monavale Estate including the original homestead, which he had burnt down. He then built the present kauri home.

His father, William Francis (Frank) Buckland - a former mayor of Cambridge - moved to Monavale after his wife's death. Channing had a greenhouse built where his father raised prize chrysanthemums and where he perfected the King Alfred Daffodil.

Channing sold the 800 acres about 1919-20 after the flu epidemic had taken a toll on his health. His doctor advised him to make a complete change so he sold up and moved to Canada.