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Farming
www.guardianonline.co.nz
When town meets country John Leadley
RURAL COMMENT
O
ne of the institutions that have been part of the fabric of New Zealand for more than 135 years is the agricultural and pastoral association. Agricultural and pastoral associations have, for at least a century, been the showcase annual event where town meets country, in a relaxed day of competition and display. While some breeds of sheep have changed, (where were the shropshires, ryelands etc of yesteryear?) and wheat varieties like hunters white, tuscan, velvet ear and pearl no longer exist, many of the classes remain remarkably similar. Cattle breeds remain predominantly jersey and friesian. The ratio of working horses to lighter riding hacks has
probably reversed, but as one who worked Clydesdales in the early 1950s it’s great to still see these magnificent beasts. Having visited all Ashburton A&P shows since 1940, I recently re-read a forward written by my grandfather George William Leadley, at the age of 70, for the 50th annual Agricultural and Pastoral Exhibition held on November 4, 1926. GW Leadley came to New Zealand as an eight-year-old in 1863 and settled on part of Kermode and Moore’s “Glenmark” at Wakanui in 1877, after three years education. The original 428 acres was expanded to 2312 acres, and known as the Valverde Estate. It was sold to the Government for land settlement in 1912 and subdivided into 10 sections. GW Leadley was a prominent farmer of his era. WH Scotter in his book, Ashburton, credits him along with JH Grigg as being largely responsible for the Fairfield Freezing works. He was the leading proponent in establishing
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the Farmer’s Union in Mid Canterbury (now Federated Farmers) in 1901, when the organisation consisted of 120 members nationwide. At the first Canterbury Conference, in May 1902, he was elected South Island president by the 400 persons present, and later that year in Wellington at the national conference he became national vice-president, taking over the role of national president in 1903. This was the second year of the organisation’s establishment. GW Leadley was a founding director of the Midland Cooperative Dairy Company, a long-term Roads Board member, county councillor, school committee chairman and commissioner and prominent in establishing the Wheat Board. He was also active in the Methodist Church and described by Scotter as the district’s leading prohibitionist. GW was the first president of the A&P association to be re-elected in 1899-1900, and was one of the earliest life members.
The Leadley link to the A&P association has continued to this day with sons, George and Roland, being life members. Roland’s sons, Colin and Norman, together with son-inlaw, Stewart Watson, have all served terms as president. Great-grandson Brian Leadley served two terms as president and another great grandson of GW, Chris Watson is now vice-president. A study of the committee indicates several families with a century of involvement. Long may the A&P association survive to foster the towncountry link. The following is a copy of George William Leadley’s foreword to the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral 50th Annual Exhibition held in 1926. This was published as an introduction in the catalogue. Then and Now – A Long Look Back, by George William Leadley: Fifty years! An inconsiderable period perhaps in the life of a nation; but in the life of a district or an individual (and particularly when it is the first 50 years) it is fraught with an
importance and an interest which any other period can scarcely possess, for then are laid the foundations upon which others will build. Then men stand at the spring of a nation’s or a community’s life and give direction to the current. This is in itself both a privilege and a responsibility. There can be only one beginning – there may be great future development and amplification – but there can be only one beginning, and it is no small privilege to have been one of those who blazed the trail, for future progress and development. Anything related to Ashburton before the “Seventies” may be regarded as pre-historic. Previous to that time “The Ashburton,”
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