What and where is Flock House?

         It was a farm training centre 14km South of Bull’s village situated on 3,000 acres of land.

         Apart from the Rural Field Cadets course run by State Advances,  it probably gave the best practical training in agricultural skills in New Zealand. It was set up in 1924 to train orphan sons of navy seamen killed in the First World War. It later trained New Zealand lads in rural skills converting many city boys into farmers. Over 3,000 boys took the 12-month course.

         Over many years Flock House played a big place in my career. When I was a student at Massey College I would often spend my weekends staying with the Harbords at Flock House. Les had been my boss when I worked in agriculture in Southland. He was the Principal of Flock House when I stayed with him. Later on, when I was a Farm Advisor in Whanganui I was expected to give talks to the Flock House boys.

         Many years later I headed up the training section for the Ministry of Agriculture and Flock House became our in-service training centre. I held many workshops there. It was an ideal place to think, plan and train. I even gave the graduation speech and handed out the qualifying certificates to the boys one year.

         Over many years I had built up a very good collection of the USDA annuals. They contained everything you needed to know on specific agricultural topics. I presented my collection to the Flock House library. I often wondered which dump they ended up in when the place was closed down in 1987.

         Today the beautiful main building is listed as a Category 1 Historic Place with Heritage New Zealand, as is the memorial to Bess, the grave of Colonel Powel’s horse. Bess was special. During the First World War, New Zealand sent 10,000 horses with their riders into battle zones. Only four returned.

         Bess was the model for the Anzac statue set up in Port Said in Egypt. I saw this statue when I serving on the HMNZ ship Achilles. After it was removed by the Egyptians it was rescued by the Australians and set up again in Albany in Western Australia.

         The first Flock House Principle was Col. C.G Powles and the last was Mr John J. Stewart.

         J.J. certainly made a difference in the environment. The silage pits just happened to be the right size for squash courts and the fire pool was just right for a swimming pool. As he was the All-Black rugby coach Flock House was an ideal residential training ground.

         It was an outrage that the Government closed down Flock House when we needed trained farm workers. This was done about the time Massey University stopped its Diploma in Agriculture programme. Shortly afterwards we spent multimillions of dollars helping other countries set up their in-service training centres. 

         This was done so they could tell others, “We don’t subsidise food production” – but everyone else does!

Geoffrey Moss(mossassociates.co.nz)