The Station
Overview
Nokomai is a high country sheep and cattle station located between the Garvie Mountains and Slate range of Northern Southland. It's location is well described by the original name of "Glenfalloch" - given to it by it's first settler - meaning "hidden valley".
Nokomai is one of the few original runs left intact in the area and has a wealth of history attached to it through it's farming as well as gold mining past. Nokomai is also unique in the fact that it has only been farmed by two different families during it's 150 year existence, the family of D.A. Cameron, it's original Scottish settler, and the family of F.L. Hore whose descendants proudly farm the station today.
Statistics
Average Annual Rainfall 1100mm
Average Temperature 10"Celsius (With a range of 4 in Winter to 15 in Summer)
Area 38,000 ha (110, 000 Acres)
Altitude 300-6,000 feet above sea level
Stock
Sheep
Cattle
Horses
| Timeline | |
| 1770 | Captain James Cook sights Dusky Sound |
| 1792 | First Sealing Gang are stationed at Dusky Sound |
| 1835 | D.A. Cameron born (Founder of Nokomai) |
| 1840 | Rabbits introduced by whalers for meat |
| 1854 | D.A. Cameron travels to South Australia to work for his uncle on a sheep station |
| 1853 | Southland purchased from Maori - Known at the time as the Murihiku Block |
| 1856 - 7 | Southland surveyed by Thomson |
| 1859 | D.A. Cameron travels to Dunedin. Explores and applies for Staircase Run and pays deposit. Sheep shipped from Melbourne to Bluff where they are held in quarantine. Many die on the ships and throughout the arduous journey to the lake. D.A. Cameron discovers Nokomai Valley and hurries back to Dunedin to claim the run (354). Arrives one day ahead of other Australians with the same idea. |
| 1860 | Temporary woolshed built of birch logs and canvas. First residence built - a very rudimentary sod house. 807 sheep on the station |
| 1862 | James Lamb discovers gold in the Nokomai Valley and a Goldrush commences. A township of around 1,000 miners springs up. The Nokomai Diggings boasts 3 hotels, a school, a weekly handwritten newspaper, a doctor, 2 banks, and a lockup with one constable. |
| 1863 | First musterer's hut built at Donkey Flat. D.A. Cameron travels to Australia to marry Margaret Ellen Macdonald in Melbourne. More rabbits introduced at Oreti Sands for meat as well as sport for settlers. |
| 1865 | D.A. Camerson's first child born, Ewen Alexander |
| 1870 | First portion of homestead completed. Road from Parawa created. Diggers set fire to Spring Hill. Goldrush begins to fade. 9,900 sheep on the station. Rabbit plague at its peak. |
| 1872 | First permanent woolshed built. |
| 1874 | D.A. Cameron's father, Ewen, dies at Nokomai |
| 1876 | Ewen Cameron's grave constructed on Little Hill |
| 1878 | Huge snowfalls in early August cause losses of 11,000 sheep out of 20,200 on the station. Snow did not thaw until early September. Invercargill - Kingston Railway line completed. |
| 1880 | The Golden Lion Sluicing Company sets up it's claim in the Nokomai Valley. |
| 1902 | The Golden Lion Sluicing Company closes it's claim. New concrete dip built. |
| 1903 | Last wool scoured at Nokomai. |
| 1904 | Nevis Run purchased |
| 1913-20 | Boundary fence constructed along the top of the Garvie Mountains between Nokomai and Glenaray. |
| 1917 | Nokomai has it's record clip of 438 bales. |
| 1927 | The Nokomai Gold Mining Company is formed |
| 1943 | The Nokomai Gold Company is closed |
| 1950 | Francis Lewis (Frank) Hore of Gimmerburn purchases Nokomai from it's Cameron trustees. Korean War begins. |
| 1959 | Fiery Creek property purchases - 11,000 acres. |
| 1964 | Frank Hore and family take up permanent residence at Nokomai |
| 1961 | Aerial topdressing of hill country commences. Cattle are introduced |
| 1973 | Parawa Downs purchased - 2,600 acres |
| 1973 | Brian Lewis Hore (Eldest son of Frank) and family take over ownership and management of Nokomai |
| 1990-96 | L&M Mining Co mines the Nokomai Valley |
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