The land

The Hehir's arrived in Taikorea in 1879 with the O'Grady and Hurley families. They were the first settlers in the district and soon set about clearing bush and building three houses for the three families. As the bush was cleared year by year more cows were milked. At first money was made by working in the flax-mills at Foxton and building the Foxton-Sanson railway track. Any butter made from the cows being milked was taken and sold at the various flax mills around the district. In 1884 the Hurley's sold their share to the Hehir's and shifted to Kairanga.

The early bush on the farm

In 1899 the O'Grady's also left and brought a farm in Awahuri although the O'Grady boys stayed with the Hehir's in Taikorea (two of the three being killed in action during WW1). When there was sufficient land cleared Patrick would sow eight-nine acres of wheat to be made into flour at a mill in Bulls. When a dairy factory opened up in Glen Oroua in 1900 a dray pulled by two horses transported the milk there. They would sell about 800lbs of milk from their 34 cows and they got about 7-½ p/lb of butterfat (about 15 shillings)

Burning a rubbish hole

In 1900 362 acres were brought at Oroua Downs, this was later sold to buy a farm for Patrick's son Johnny in Omanuka Rd. 1915 saw the purchase of Amon's farm (next to the home block in Taikorea Rd). This was farmed by son Michael Hehir and James Hehir the youngest son farmed the original block

Two of Christie's children sitting next to the pond

Patrick Hehir died at age 72 in 1925 when he fell off the back of a dray-load of rushes he had gathered. James's sons Jimmy & Christie farmed the home block from the 1930's through to the early 70's. James died in 1983 aged 97, Michael died in 1962 and after the farm being operated with share-milkers by his widow Lizzie for 12 years it was leased by Christie & Jimmy Hehir (and combined into one unit with the home block) until her death in 1987 at 94 years of age . At this time this farm was purchased by Tim and Chris Hehir (two of Christie and Remai Hehir's 12 children) from her estate .Tim and Chris also run the Omanuka Rd farm of Johnny Hehir after the deaths of Johnny and Barbara Hehir's two sons, Jim (1983) and John (1973).

A view of the back of the farm from Christie and Remais house

In 1993 Tim and Chris Hehir split the combined farm on Taikorea Rd up into two units and built another cowshed on Michael Hehir's original farm. This farm is now farmed by Tim and Cathy Hehir with Chris and Briona Hehir farming the other block. The Omanuka Rd farm is shared as a runoff. In 2001 Tim and Cathy and Chris and Briona purchased the Pedley farm over the other-side of Taikorea Rd. With the installation of an underpass this is used as an extension to the milking platform of both blocks.

Click here for a map of the farm.