About us
Turihaua Angus Stud
Turihaua Station has been in the Williams family since 1897. The Angus Stud was founded by J.N. Williams at Turihaua in 1906. Registrations have grown since then and we now calve 350 stud cattle including yearling heifers. Turihaua, comprising 2000 hectares (5000 acres) is a coastal hill country station specialising in grass fed Stud Cattle, commercial cattle, sheep and deer.
We are the oldest established Stud in New Zealand and are committed to breeding sound fertile cattle that mature early but still retain moderate frames. Emphasis is placed on producing females of good milking and maternal ability. Many Studs and farms throughout New Zealand have had the Turihaua influence amongst their herds and we have exported cattle, semen and embryos to overseas countries.
Statistics
- Property size - 2000 hectares (5000 acres)
- Topography - Medium/steep coastal hill country
- Soil Type - Light loam with base of heavy clay
- Pasture Type - Mainly ryegrass and clover, some cocksfoot native grasses
- Annual Rainfall - 1150 mm (46 inches)
- Fertiliser - 150kgs per hectares annually
- Forestry - 150 hectares planted in pines and eucalyptus
- Stock Units - Winter 18,000 S.U.
- 20 hectares of Native bush retired
- 150,000 poplar and willow poles planted for erosion control over the last 30 years
Making History
Turihaua is the oldest Angus cattle stud in Australasia, its
bulls renowned for sturdy constitution and reliability. The
property was purchased by James Nelson Williams in the last
decade of the 19th century, his son and grandson, both named
Heathcote Beetham Williams, subsequently building and
consolidating the family legacy.
James' son, known as H.B., combined commonsense values with a keen intellect, earning a law degree from Cambridge University. He welcomed opportunities to invest in business ventures, and his partner in many of these was his brother Arnold Beetham, known as A.B.
Over the years both brothers put money aside for charitable purposes, the trusts they set up continuing to foster good work in the Gisborne and East Coast communities. While A.B. was a dominant figure in the Waiapu area, H.B. built up his farming and business interests from Turihaua, always regarding Turihaua as his bedrock.
His son, the second H.B., known to his friends as Bill, had no little trouble taking over the reins from his father, but Bill Williams put his own stamp on Turihaua and came to be widely respected as a shrewd judge of stud cattle and a generous benefactor. He oversaw significant contributions to charitable causes in the Gisborne-East Coast district while maintaining the financial health of Turihaua and the various Williams' farming and business interests.
Bill's son Hamish together with wife Angela are today leading Turihaua into the future with their focus firmly on breeding bulls that produce optimum results for their customers – and ultimately for the consumer.
In the past, the Aberdeen Angus herd book, experience and a good eye for cattle lay behind the success of Turihaua. While remaining important, today technology, EBVs, computer skills and international connections have been added. A book marking the stud's centenary, ‘A Hundred Years of Turihaua Angus' by Iain Gillies, John Gillies and Barrie Gordon, tells the story so far… and sets the scene for the next 100 years.
2000 and beyond - Our Vision
A genetic passport to high profitability
To be the leading supplier of quality Angus Genetics that will produce beef profitably for you. Our breeding programme is designed to produce early maturing animals with moderation in growth, milk and muscle. We strive for excellence in fertility, structural soundess and carcase merit.
Our herd is run under strictly commercial conditions on steep hill country and at high stocking rates. Both bulls and females are continually assessed for performance using objective measurement and the time honoured skill of visual appraisal. We have been doing this longer than any other Angus breeder in New Zealand. Our cattle are backed by the best 3-year guarantee available in this country.