Newstead, New Zealand

Newstead is a rural settlement on the outskirts of Hamilton, in the Waikato District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island.

The settlement includes the global headquarters of Livestock Improvement Corporation, a multinational farming co-operative which provides genetics information to the dairy sector.[1] The campus, established in 1951,[2] is a combined farm, laboratory, testing facility and research centre.[3][4]

Hamilton Park Cemetery, Hamilton's main operational cemetery, is located just west of the settlement. It consists of burial lawns, a crematorium and two chapels, and is operated by Hamilton City Council.[5]

History

19th century

James Runciman, a Scottish-born captain in the Waikato War, took over the 1517 acres at Newstead in the mid 1960s, establishing the Marsh Meadows farm. He travelled to the United States in 1882 to investigate cheese-making and briefly established a cheese-making factory, but closed it due to financial difficulties. He also experimented with sugar beet.[6]

Runciman donated 20 acres to establish Marsh Meadows School, which opened in 1890. It later became Newstead School.[7]

He regularly planted trees, or donated trees for school children to plant on special occasions. By 1889, he had planted 50,000 trees. Most were milled, but some were still standing by the 21st century.[6]

John Levis, a farmer born in County Cork, Ireland, settled on 153 acres in Newstead in 1884. He also became active on the local school committee.[8]

Bank of New Zealand appointed John Graham, a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, as the manager of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's Woodside pastoral property in 1886. By 1902, it had between 2000 and 3000 sheep.[9]

Henry Reynolds purchased 1600 acres of land in Newstead in 1886, establishing the Newstead Estate. He set up the first creamery on his farm in 1890.[10][7]

The New Zealand Dairy Association established a creamery at the site in 1900. The plant had an 8 horse-power portable engine, and a processing capacity of 300 gallons. During its first season the factory had 10 suppliers, and processed the milk of 350 cows each day.[11]

20th century

By 1902 the settlement had a post office and was connected to the rail network.[12]

The first telephone line to Newstead was from the Woodlands Estate at Gordonton, where Reynolds had previously lived and worked. The road is still called Telephone Road.[10]

21st century

In February 2011, Private Kirifi Mila was buried at Newstead's Hamilton Park Cemetery,[13] after being killed in preventable workplace accident during service in the War in Afghanistan.[14] The burial was attended by family members and dignitaries, including Sam Lotu-Iiga.[15]

A new reception and lounge facility was proposed for the cemetery in 2015 but the plan was scrapped.[16]

As of 2017, the cemetery was busy seven days a week and was considering extending operations to 10 hours a day.[17] It is projected to face rising demand until at least 2045.[18]

New CCTV security cameras were installed at the cemetery in 2019, in an attempt to stop burnouts and vandalism.[19] It followed several cases of threatening, aggressive and anti-social behavoiur.[20]

Education

Newstead Model School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,[21][22] with a roll of 128 as of March 2020.[23]

The school was established in 1890 and held centennial celebrations in 1990.[7]

References
  1. Frykberg, Erik (19 February 2020). "LIC makes $109m bid for similar agri tech business in Israel". Radio New Zealand. rnz.co.nz.
  2. "Our history". lic.co.nz. Livestock Improvement Corporation.
  3. Rowe, Don (31 May 2018). "Semen Valley: the NZ agritech hub which milks the world's finest bulls". The Spinoff. thespinoff.co.nz.
  4. Fox, Andrea (21 August 2015). "No bull, this is a risky business". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  5. "Hamilton Park Cemetery". hamilton.govt.nz. Hamilton City Council.
  6. "Captain Runciman". heritagewaikato.org. Heritage Waikato.
  7. Newstead School (Marsh Meadows), Centennial 1890-1990. Hamilton, New Zealand: Newstead School. 1990.
  8. "Lewis, Richard John". The Cyclopedia Company. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company. 1902.
  9. "Woodside, Mr John James Graham". The Cyclopedia Company. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company. 1902.
  10. "Henry Reynolds". heritagewaikato.org. Heritage Waikato.
  11. "Newstead Station Creamery". The Cyclopedia Company. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company. 1902.
  12. "Newstead". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company. 1902.
  13. "Hamilton Park Cemetery". nzwargraves.org.nz. New Zealand War Graves Project.
  14. "Report finds Kiwi soldier's death preventable". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. The New Zealand Herald. 5 April 2012.
  15. Brennan-Tupara, Nicola (25 February 2011). "Family mourns 'inspirational' soldier". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  16. Leaman, Aaron (5 July 2015). "Proposed Newstead cemetery lounge cut from draft plan". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  17. Wilson, Libby (6 October 2017). "Rising cremation demand may force 10-hour days at Hamilton crematorium". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  18. Leaman, Aaron (6 April 2015). "High burial costs hit grieving Hamilton families". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  19. "New cameras to catch culprits doing burnouts at Hamilton cemetery". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. The New Zealand Herald. 15 April 2019.
  20. Wilson, Libby (22 April 2019). "Burnouts at the graveside prompt CCTV installation at Hamilton Park Cemetery". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  21. "Official School Website". newstead.school.nz.
  22. "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  23. "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.

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