Station (New Zealand agriculture)

Walter Peak Station, opposite Queenstown on the shore of Lake Wakatipu.

A station or run, in the context of New Zealand agriculture, is a large farm dedicated to the grazing of sheep and cattle. The use of the word for the farm or farm buildings date back to the mid-nineteenth century.[1] The owner of a station is called a runholder.

Some of the stations in the South Island have been subject to the voluntary tenure review process. As part of this process the government has been buying out all or part of the leases. Poplars Station in the Lewis Pass area was purchased in part by the government in 2003. The Nature Heritage Fund was used to purchase 4000 ha for $1.89 million.[2] Birchwood Station was bought in 2005 to form part of the Ahuriri Conservation Park[3] St James Station was purchased by the Government in 2008.

  1. ^ Orsman, H. W. (1999). The Dictionary of New Zealand English. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-558347-7.
  2. ^ "Conservation Week: Huge chunk of high country station purchased". New Zealand Government. 2 August 2003. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  3. ^ "Ahuriri Conservation Park opened for the public". New Zealand Government. 8 March 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2011.