Local farmers and rural businesses are to restore this historic Hororātā Hall endowment paddock to its former glory.
Local farmers and rural businesses are to restore this historic Hororātā Hall endowment paddock to its former glory.
A 5-hectare endowment paddock adjoining a rural community hall is being restored to full productivity, more than 130 years after it was donated.
Sir John Hall helped establish the Hororātā Town Hall in 1890, donating both the site and a paddock beside it, with conditions ensuring the land would providea long-term revenue for the hall’s operation.
That original vision lives on, with local farmers and rural businesses joining forces to develop the block after years of dormancy, following a lapsed lease.
Farmer Tim Cookson said the land had strong productive potential.
“This is good land that has been underutilised [and] the aim is to develop it so it once again contributes to the running of the Hororātā Hall,” he said.
“It’s been great to see how quickly the farming community has got behind it.
“There’s something that really resonates about using land productively to support our community.”
The paddock required extensive work to bring it back into production.
This included weed control and a quick crop rotation to prepare the land for planting, with Ravensdown providing support through fertiliser inputs.
Lucerne is now being established, with the intention of creating a consistent, harvestable crop that delivers long-term returns.
Farming operations have had to work around the paddock’s use as overflow parking for major community events, including the Hororātā Highland Games, requiring flexibility in cropping and harvest schedules.
Hororātā Community Trust executive officer Cindy Driscoll said the project reflected the strength of rural collaboration.
“It is a considerable investment to turn the paddock back into a productive asset, and the trust simply could not do this without the time, skills and resources being contributed,” she said.
Sir John Hall helped establish the Hororātā Town Hall in 1890, when he donated the land for the hall and an adjoining paddock.
“We are incredibly grateful to all involved.
“Sir John Hall was an innovative farmer in his time, and it’s fitting that his endowment is once again being worked by people who understand land, seasons and long-term thinking.”
Plans to restore the hall are underway, with the trust committed to preserving it for future generations.
The hall is well used. It hosts three to four bookings each month and is a base for the local playcentre and Carol’s Closet Community Op Shop.
Income generated from the endowment paddock goes directly towards the hall’s operational costs, helping keep hire fees affordable and ensuring the building remains accessible to the community it was built to serve.
