TUTIRA STATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 January 1943, Page 2

TUTIRA STATION

DEDICATED TO DOMINION. GUTHRIE-SMITH TRUST. ’ (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. In accordance with the wishes of the late Mr W. H. Guthrie-Smith, his daughter, Mrs J. Archer Absolom, has dedicated “Tutira” Station to the people of the Dominion. Mr Guthrie-Smith is well remembered as the author of “Tutira,” “The Sorrows and Joys of a New Zealand Naturalist,” and other works. He developed “Tutira” Station from the early eighties and it was for many years his wish that “Tutira” should be preserved in perpetuity as a place of beauty. “Tutira” Station lies round Tutira Lake, which is a bird sanctuary, about 26 miles from Napier on the main Napier-Wairoa road. The property contains just over 2000 acres of freehold land and, in addition, all the stock and plant have been given to the trust. The deed of trust provides, first, that an area of at least 200 acres shall be made available as a park area and, secondly, that the trustees are given power to establish a farm for training juvenile immigrants for life in the Dominion. In this connection, they have already been in touch with the Fairbridge Farm Schools organisation, which has extensive training centres in all other Dominions. At the moment, the park has not been thrown open to the public, but the date of this will be duly notified. It was not possible to make over the station free of all mortgage and it is the first intention of the trustees to clear this debt by means of the annual farming proceeds. Unfortunately, the liabilities of .the property are likely to be increased by a belated claim for death duties which was unknown to Mr Guthrie-Smith or i to the executors when the dedication was decided on. It is the desire of the trustees, as funds become available and labour is again more plentiful, to provide camping and recreation facilities and continue Mr Guth-rie-Smith’s work of planting the property with beautiful and rare trees.