Strong and Sturdy Homesteads

Dotted around the old estates and stations lay the homesteads (or what is left of them) that housed many farming families throughout the district’s early history.

Buccleuch Homestead c. 1910, with members of the Lochhead family in the foreground.

Some were worthy of picture postcards, while others went through several iterations or disappeared entirely. These old houses and the sites they once sat on are worth great recognition indeed.

In previous posts we have discussed the lives of several farmers and life on several farms and stations, as life on these early farms is a very popular part of early history in the Ashburton District.

Picture postcard of the homestead at Longbeach Station, which perfectly captured its grand architecture and somewhat overgrown aesthetic.

It is all too easy to fall into describing the history of the farmers, the station owners, and the families involved – which is all well and good, but sometimes it is nice to just appreciate the architecture of the homesteads that graced those vast stations.

Photograph of Windermere Homestead taken by Charles Tindall, showcasing the beautifully symmetrical façade of the building.

This distinctive home was once the Winchmore Homestead, built in 1859. 

By Connor Lysaght

This post was modified for this blog and was originally published in the Ashburton Guardian, 10th of October 2020.