ISLAND FARM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21716, 3 February 1934, Page 8

ISLAND FARM

800 ACRES AT PORTLAND LONELY SETTLER'S HOME BLASTING AN ANCHORAGE The story of how Portland Island was turned from a waste of scrub growth into a productive sheep farm was told in Gisborne this week to the Poverty Bay Herald by Mr. W. Nevill, the island's only farmer. Portland Island is at the southern extremity of Mahia Peninsula, and can be picked out on fine days from the mainland as a flat pancake-like place out at sea. Only a mile separates the nearest point of" the peninsula and the island, but it is 18 miles further to the nearest port, "Waikokopu. Mr. Nevill went to the island 12 years ago, and had to transform his 300 acres into grass land. The scrub and native grass carried a certain number of sheep that the Maori owners visited and mustered once a year for shearing, but much had to be done to turn it into a farm. Now it carries four sheep to the acre, over twice as many as formerly.* After leaving his original work as a surveyor, Mr. Nevill, who is the son of an early Gisborne settler, was farming at Waipiro Bay and then at Wairoa. It was when he was in the latter district 12 years ago that he took over the 300 acres of native property at Portland Island under a lease, of which he s£ill has a long period to run. Apart from his- leasehold property there is another 60 acres owned by the Government, and on that section are living three families attending to the lighthouse at the southern point of the island. Heavy Preliminary Job When Mr. Nevill arrived on the island, his biggest job was to clear the tauhinu, .which covered the greatest portioh of his 300 acres. The whole of the area was flat in two terraces. The lower terrace almost on sea level was a mixture of shell and soil, and would grow almost anything, provided the soil was well cultivated. He used that section for cropping, and intends to plant lucerne next season. This lower terrace comprised about 100 acres. The remaining 200 acres was on a much higher levelj was splendid sheep country, and now contained good perennial rye grass and clover pasture. As he cleared the tauhmu, Mr. Nevill broadcast his seed on the cleared patches, and he found that the good English grasses spread rapidly and crowded out the native grass, on whichthe ;sheep already on the island had had to exist. The pasture established itself very quickly, because the soil and the climate were eminently suitable. Prior to Mr. Nevill's occupation, no Eerious attempt had been made to farm the island. The Maori owners ran a few sheep on the property, and visited the island once a year to round \yp the flock, and shear. There was so much cover then that it was frequently impossible to bring all into the shearing quarters, with the result that Mr. Nevill had many hermits to deal with when he set to work to make a farm out of the island. Some of these were beyond bringing back to a reasonable state, and had to be killed. Production Doubled As a result of the improvements. Mr. Nevill had effected during his 12 years of occupation, the production of the island has been-more than doubled. During his first season, he carried 600 sheep, and sent away 12 bales of wool. Now he carries from 1200 to 1500 sheep on his 300 acres, and this season's clip has totalled 25 bales. The isolation of the island has many advantages. The greatest _of the disadvantages is communication, but the installation of wireless receiving and transmitting apparatus has broken down one aspect of the isolation. Mail is carried on Mr. Nevill's Mermaid, a launch 32ft. long and with a beam of 9ft. This also carries supplies for the island, and transports stock and produce for the markets on the mainland. There is no natural anchorage or harbour at the island, which is shaped like a leg of mutton, and a lean one at that, there being a point at each extremity. Therefore, whatever the wind, there is usually a sea running on each side. To provide a safe anchorage, a harbour had to be made. sin making a harbour, Mr. Nevill received: the assistance of the Government, and he blasted out a comfortable little anchorage big enough for his launch. The harbour, as it is called, is no bigger than a pond, but it serves the. purpose.The total population of the island is under 20.