Listen to The Country online with Jamie Mackay: The history of Flock House with Alasdair Bettles-Hall

Flock House was originally set up at the largesse of the New Zealand sheep owners. Photo / Duncan Brown

Today on The Country radio show, host Jamie Mackay catches up with Alasdair Bettles-Hall, the organiser of Flock House. Flock House was originally set up through the generosity of New Zealand sheep owners, to thank the men who died or were injured in WWI, by inviting their orphans to come to New Zealand and learn to farm.

On with the show:

Christopher Luxon:

The Prime Minister ponders OCR and monetary policy day, the end of the Kāinga Ora spending spree, the politicians’ gift registry, and what’s the oddest thing he’s been given or offered.

Alasdair Bettles-Hall:

The organiser of the Flock House project says it has two distinct themes: One, to celebrate the 100th commemoration of Flock House opening on July 19, 1924, and the other, to continue finding and making contact with the descendants of the 759 original war orphans sent to NZ after WWI.

Flock House was originally set up at the largesse of the New Zealand sheep owners. This was in a debt of gratitude to the men of the Royal Navy, Mercantile Navy and the British Fishing Fleet who were incapacitated, or killed, keeping the shipping lanes open in WWI, enabling the New Zealand sheep owners to sell their wool.

The 100th commemoration is for both the descendants of the original orphans and also the approximately 2400 farm cadets that went to Flock House from the late 1930s through to 1988 when it closed. Find out more here.

Simon Till:

Fonterra’s acting chief financial officer reviews the final Global Dairy Trade auction of the 23/24 season. And it was a good one - up 3.3 per cent with whole milk powder up 2.9 per cent. We also look at the timing around the announcement of the opening forecast price for the 24/25 season and Fonterra’s “step-change in strategy”.

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth:

One of New Zealand’s leading primary sector academics says while the 3 Rs are important in education, equally so are the 3 Fs.

Peter Nation:

Three weeks and counting until Fieldays. Today the chief executive gives you the chance to win two family passes for four.

Listen below: