New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards postponed

File photo / Pexels

The New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards committee has decided against holding an event this year, after postponing its event in May due to Covid-19 concerns.

Awards chairman Eddie Fitzgerald said the committee was unable to find a date later in the year that suited its sponsors and did not clash with other events at a busy time of year.

They also took into consideration families being unable to attend with increased seasonal farming commitments at that time.

The date to honour the 2021 award recipients will now be held over the weekend of May 19 to 21 next year.

The delay will have a knock-on effect, delaying the awards ceremony for the 2022 award recipients.

Fitzgerald acknowledged it was a lengthy delay for some families with elderly members.

To date, more than 500 families from throughout New Zealand have joined this exclusive circle of centenarians and sesquicentenarians.

The programme began in 2005 in Lawrence with the aim to capture and preserve the family histories of pioneering families and their descendants.

Eligible families submit narratives of their farm history, together with copies of related photographs and supporting documents, which are then archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington - ensuring all records are kept in perpetuity.

A special dinner in Lawrence each May honours the recipients and their significant achievement of 100 or more years in farming.

It is a chance for recipients to meet each other and formally receive their distinctive bronze plaque and certificate to display on their property.

The committee recently introduced a "first in, first served" policy and will use discretion on whether they carry applications over into the following year.

Families who have owned and farmed their land since 1922 or earlier are encouraged to apply to get into the queue.

The deadline for this year's applications is November 30.