Family sells farm after 70 years
An historic Marlborough farm has been sold to a new owner for the first time in 70 years.
Benhopai, in the Waihopai Valley, was bought in 1948 by Alastair Shanks’ father, Charles, an engineer, soon after arriving from the west coast of Scotland.
Alastair Shanks took over ownership in 1973 and has progressively sold off the original 8400 hectares to forestry development.
The last piece in the sale process was completed recently when the remaining 95ha, including the homestead, grounds and 28ha of forestry was bought by a Christchurch buyer.
Benhopai has a long history of pastoral farming in the region. In 1850 it was one of 45 farms in Marlborough, including Molesworth Station, to be granted occupation leases by the government.
Charles Shanks arrived in Auckland with his family after working at Bletchely Park code breaking centre during World War Two. ’’We had been living on the west coast of Scotland, and Britain didn’t offer much after the war,’’ Alastair Shanks said. ’’We had the choice of going to Canada, which was too cold, or Australia, which was too hot, so we came to New Zealand.’’
The family lived in Auckland for three months before the chance to buy Benhopai came up, he said. The last stage from Blenheim to Waihopai Valley and the farm was made in a truck up a rough shingle road.
Over the years, with a farm manager overseeing the farm, the stock units were steadily increased from 7000 to a peak of 18,000 sheep, beef and deer, he said. Since the peak period much of the farm has been converted into forestry, with the last sale in 2013 when 1000ha of pine forest was sold to South Korean company Sunchang Corporation.
The downsizing of land had been deliberate, and the final decision to sell the house was not made overnight, he said.
‘‘I wanted to sell off most of the farm before I reached 80. It was taking me four hours a week to mow the lawns, and my wife, Dinny, wanted to be closer to Blenheim.’’
A keen ocean sailor, he planned to spend more time on his 17 metre cruising ketch.
‘‘It’s a going to be a big wrench to move but we are pleased the buyer will use it as a family home,’’ Dinny Shanks said.