Department Sells Three Valetta Farms

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31226, 25 November 1966, Page 12

Department Sells Three Valetta Farms

Two farm blocks each of about 330 acres at Valetta, near Ashburton, were sold by ballot yesterday. The successful applicants were G. J. McKeown, aged 27, of Woodbury, near Geraldine, and R. W. Brown, aged 34, of 37 Mount street, Waikouaiti. A third farm was allotted to J. A. Dobson, aged 44, of 16K R.D., Oamaru, who was the only applicant eligible under special returned servicemen’s conditions. The three men will take over the farms next March. About 20 people attended the ballot held by the Lands and Survey Department in Christchurch. There were 65 names in the ballot box and the first two drawn out were announced as successful.

Eighty-four people applied for inclusion in the ballot, but 19 were excluded for various reasons by the Land Settlement Board after personal examination of qualifications.

Some farmers present at the ballot said the successful ap-

plicants were now set up for life. Winning a ballot was as much as any young farmer could wish for, they said. Each farm has a carrying capacity at present of 1150 ewes and replacements. Twothirds of each of the farms are border dyked for irrigation. Each farm has a five-roomed dwelling, wool and implement shed, haybarn, cowshed and killing house all as new. The total cost of each of the farms is about £22,000. The Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr N. S. Coad) said after the ballot that the board bad been highly impressed with the standard of applications.

Next year the department will sell the remaining blocks at Valetta by ballot.

Dr. A. Noehring, who was German Ambassador to New Zealand from 1957 to 1965, and his wife arrived in Auckland yesterday to spend at least six months in New Zealand. Dr. Noehring is now retired.—(P.A.)