Family Association With Lake Station Severed

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29270, 30 July 1960, Page 9

Family Association With Lake Station Severed

[By KEITH CREE]

THE recent transfer of the Walter Peak station, on Lake Wakatipu, known to many Canterbury people who have travelled up, the lake by steamer as the first stopping point after leaving Queenstown, severs the connexion with the station of the Mackenzie family which goes back -more than 80 years. Back in the days of the first settlers in the Wakatipu area, Nicholas von Tunzelman took over the Fetnhill side of the lake and left the Queenstown side to W. G. Rees. The Von, as he was affectionately called, experienced many setbacks which finally drove him off the land and part of the property fell into the hands of Hugh Mackenzie. In 1882 he secured the Walter Peak portion of the Mount Nicholas run from the Southland Land Board and began building up an estate that grew to 170,000 acres. Hugh Mackenzie had six sons and no doubt with their future in mind he extended his holdings, taking in Mount Nicholas and Fernhill to form the run that continued to be known as Walter Peak. When Hugh Mackenzie began his run-holding career he grazed on Walter Peak 1000 sheep. . . . As the adjoining properties came into his hands he increased his sheep numbers until the tally of 37,000 was reached. Fencing A contributing factor to the carrying capacity of the run was his fencing experiment. Snow losses had taken heavy toll on his stock for his high .country was a veritable death trap until he began stringing fences along the snow line and so prevented his sheep from grazing on the high levels at the time of the year when heavy snow could be expected. His run-holder neighbours shook their heads pityingly when he began to pack fencing materials up the steep slopes. They maintained that fences could never withstand the weight of the snow and that the thaw would see the fence lines a shambles of crushed wire. Hugh Mackenzie won his point for that fence, strung in 1897, not only withsood that first winter, but still stands.

For 14 years he packed fencing materials, wire and standards up the slopes until some 70 miles of wire had been laid out The solid stone strainer posts' have stood the test of time as also the iron standards. The ranges along which these fences were strung are some 5000 feet high. When the fencing programme was completed a total of 450 miles had been erected.

Fences might reduce losses from show falls but they were powerless to do anything to reduce the loss frqm rabbit infestation. When the rabbit really became a factor that broke many a runholder, the Walter Peak people fought grimly

to hold on. At one time there were 115,000 rabbit skins in bales in the wool shed. Hugh Mackenzie took his six sons into partnership in 1903 and the owners of Walter Peak station, until this year, were known as H, Mackenzie and Sons. The First World War brought losses to this family, as also did an accident in J. 906, when a son, William, was killed in a landslide within sight of the homestead. Walter was killed on Gallipoli, and Peter was gassed. The family were generous in their support of patriotic causes. Chieftain The clan hung together through many ups and downs, but it was not realised how close knit was the clan until the old chieftain, Hugh Mackenzie, died in 1933. His passing was mourned by the clan and also by every lakeside resident. Even further afield there were people who mourned his passing, for the Walter Peak homestead had been open house for hosts of visitors, including Viscount Jellicoe, Lord and Lady Bledisloe, and Sir Harry Lauder. The Mackenzies have given a good account of themselves as run holders, even if their fencing experiment was the only contribution they have made to the farming industry. Their Merino flock was a notable one, producing wool that topped the market for years in succession at the London wool sales. The year of the Wembley Exhibition their Merino wool was judged first in its class at the exhibition. How that the old run has changed hands many lakesiders feel that an era has ended, for Walter Peak has been for so long “Mackenzies’ Run.”