Wide experience in farming

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32861, 9 March 1972, Page 5

Wide experience in farming

The president of the Mayfield Agricultural and Pastoral Association (Mr Ivan Oakley) is a man with considerable experience in farming, who himself owns a very successful Romney stud farm.

Mr Oakley was born in Ashburton, and educated at Mayfield School and the former Ashburton High School. He left his secondary education to work on his father’s farm, until the outbreak of war when he volunteered for the army. Mr Oakley was transferred to the hurriedlyprepared training camp at Waiouru, where men were housed in extremely poor conditions. They camped in tents from the previous World War that leaked badly, and Mr Oakley took ill. Five months later he was discharged. In 1945 Mr Oakley took over the stud sheep at Lincoln College, a position he held until 1951, when he

moved to Christchurch to handle stud stock for the former New Zealand Loan Mercantile, now a part of the Dalgety’s organisation. Mr Oakley worked for that company for three years and a half, before moving back to Mayfield, where he now farms his 291-acre Romney Stud “Tresco.” Running about 1200 sheep, the flock was founded on his father’s, which was started about 1919. , An indication of the success he has met came at the Royal Show at Palmerston North, when one of his entries Was placed first in the natural condition class, and another from the open class placed second in the blue ribbon class —both national competitions. Mr Oakley has also met with considerable success in other shows. Besides his interest in sheep, Mr Oakley is also a keen golfer, and was a foundation member of the Lincoln Golf Club. He bad

played before he joined the staff of Lincoln College, but at Lincoln his interest resulted in his being appointed the club’s second captain. Since returning to Mayfield, Mr Oakley has been a captain and a president of the local club, and continues his interest. Mr Oakley has three daughters, two of whom, Vivienne and Sharon, are married. The third, Linell, has been abroad for five years working in England and Spain, and is at present studying in Paris. Vivienne (Mrs Gruber) and Sharon (Mrs Major) are both graduates of the University of Canterbury. Mrs Oakley is vicepresident of the Red Cross in the Ashburton county, and is a member of the executive of the MidCanterbury Federation of Country Women’s Institutes. She is president of the Mayfield branches of both organisations.