Lawrence gets ready to honor Century families

Forty New Zealand families will be recognized for their hard work and perseverance on the land at the annual New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards next month.

The small rural Otago town of Lawrence is busy preparing for the NZCFSA awards dinner, which formally honors 40 New Zealand families who have farmed their land for 100 years or more.

Award recipients from across New Zealand will come to Lawrence on the weekend of May 17-19 to attend the festivities.

Families will attend a welcome party on Friday and then the awards ceremony on Saturday evening, with 250 people expected to attend.

During the day there is a tour of the town and farm, which the NZCFSA committee says has become increasingly popular as part of the annual event.

There are five centenary awards this year to honor families who have farmed their own land for more than 150 years.

NZCFSA Chairman Edward Fitzgerald has been involved with the awards program for the past 10 years and said the NZCFSA team and Lawrence locals are, as always, looking forward to hosting the 2024 event.

“It is a real honor to recognize the hard work and perseverance of the families.

“Many of our pioneer families made great contributions to their regions, cities and communities, often transforming them at significant levels.

“For many, the efforts of their ancestors have been undervalued or completely unrecognized.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate these families who have contributed and continue to contribute to New Zealand’s agricultural industry and economy.”

The goal of the program is to record and preserve family history that might otherwise be lost through the generations.

Families submit stories about the history of their farm, along with copies of related photographs and supporting documents, which are then archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, ensuring all records are preserved in perpetuity.

During the awards dinner, families will have the opportunity to meet other recipients and will formally receive a striking bronze plaque and certificate to display on their property.

Families enjoy the special evening where many stories of hardship, perseverance and success over more than 100 years are shared.

Applications are now open for the year 2024, with all families who have owned and farmed their land since 1924 or earlier encouraged to apply.

The deadline for this year’s applications is November 30, 2024.