Millbrook's farming family

Millbrook Station, Pakiri, has been farmed by the Longuet-Higgins family for 60 years. The 478 ha property has been the Lower Northland monitor farm for the last three years.

It was purchased by Thomas Longuet-Higgins and his wife, Anne, in 1950, and then comprised 3000 acres.

Even though it’s a large farm, the difficult contour of a third of the property, coupled with the fluctuating prices realised by sheep and beef, mean that the farm is not sustainable, Anne Longuet-Higgins said at the final public field day held on the property last month.

“My husband used to say our farm was the largest lifestyle block in Rodney,” she said. Though Thomas is now deceased, Anne, 83, is still involved in running the farm with son, Alexander, and his wife, Fiona.

The farm’s original owner was Henry Brown, whose descendants farm in the Mangawhai area.

The Longuet-Higgins purchased the property from Gerald White.

Image: Anne Longuet-Higgins.