Looking back...how your Association Began
By David Ryde, Associate Editor
Editorial from Growing Today, Journal of the NZ Tree Crops Association (Inc), April-May 1989.
Whoever said "History is bunk" was probably right, but today there is a growing interest in history as an important part of our roots. It is timely to reflect on our beginnings and to record our history before it is lost. Some of our founding members are dead and our early records are incomplete; partly due to accidental incineration! On the 31st of July this year it will be 15 years since the first meeting of people interested in tree crops was held.
As one of the four founders of NZTCA I would like to share with you my version of the sequence of events that led to the foundation of NZTCA. Perhaps other early members of the organisation would also like to write with their version of those early years to fill the gaps and ensure our memories are not playing tricks.
It all began with the late George Halliwell who at that time was a farm adviser with the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries at Ashburton. George had a vision which centred on the wise use of land for the production of any products; not only arable crops, livestock and forestry but also the use of trees for annual crops. George recognised too the importance of landscape values in our rural areas and was particularly concerned about the misuse of chemicals in our productive system.
George found three supporters for these ideas. They were Roland Clark, a farmer at Stavely in Mid-Canterbury; myself, at the time a Ministry of Agriculture scientist at Winchmore Irrigation Research Station in Mid-Canterbury; and Douglas Davies, a scientist with the Crop Research Division of DSIR at Lincoln.
In May 1974 these four people met at "Glenshane", Roland Clark's farm to discuss ways and means of implementing co-ordinated research into food bearing trees and shrubs.
We presented a proposal to Dr. Harvey Smith who was the Director of Crop Research Division of DSIR. This proposal was accepted by Dr. Smith who set up a national Tree Crops Advisory Committee.
The first meeting was held in the DSIR library at Lincoln on Wednesday 31st July 1974 and was attended by a representative group of research oriented people including farmers and nurserymen.
Those invited to attend were from:-
DSIR Lincoln: Dr.H.C. Smith, D.G. Davies, D.R.Wilson, M.F. Betts, H.J. Giesen, L.C. Humdell, Dr.A. Bedi
DSIR Auckland: Dr. G. Strachan, Auckland
DSIR Havelock North: Dr.D.W. McKenzie
MAF: D.H. Ryde, H.G. Halliwell, Miss P. Bates, C.R.Plummer, Dr. C.C. Boswell; J.S.Dunn, NZAEI, G.F. Thiele and P.Bull (a student).
Farmers included H.R. Clark & Mrs. Betty Clark, Stavely and B.J. Vavasour of Blenheim.
Nurserymen were J.V.Harrison, Palmerston North, E.J. Freeman, Christchurch. Industry was represented by J. Whitelaw, Agronomist (luceme) of Fletcher Industries in Winslow, Mid-Canterbury.
Unfortunately my record does not show who actually attended but I do know that papers were delivered by Roland Clark, George Halliwell, Patricia Bates, Don McKenzie, Bernard Vavasour, Colin Boswell and myself. I have copies of these papers and notes on many tree crops prepared by George Halliwell and I. I can also recall that Harvey Smith and Doug Davies, Harry Giesen, Laurie Humdell, George Strachan, Graham Thiele, Don McKenzie and Vernon Harrison were present. I cannot recall with any certainty who of the others invited were present. All of these people went on to support the NZTCA in a substantial way.
The meeting unanimously agreed to promote and co-ordinate tree crop research throughout New Zealand using the facilities of DSIR and MAF. Today of course, while we still have the support and encouragement of both these fine organisations, our present Government's policy of "user-pays" considerably limits the ways in which we can help each other.
The principal objectives at that first meeting were to investigate a wide range of food bearing trees including fruit and nut trees for temperate and mild-temperate climates. Trees considered to have an associated economic value both for pastoral farming and horticulture were also to be looked at.
Concern arising from the first world energy shock of 1973 and land use environmental problems attracted widespread interest from various quarters. Many people requested membership of the original group.
To cater for this substantial interest a field day was held on Roland Clark's farm on Saturday, 30th November 1974. Over 200 people then formed the Canterbury Branch of the National Tree Crops Advisory Committee. This was the first meeting for other NZTCA notables such as Hamish Deans, Guy Goldsbrough and David Jackson.
On the l7th April, 1975 we held the first annual meeting of the National Tree Crops Advisory Committee at the Cawthron Institute in Nelson. At this meeting were such Nelson notables as Nigel Mountford and Dick Roberts. It was unanimously resolved to form the New Zealand Tree Crops Association as an autonomous society with public membership.
Officers elected were...
Patron: Harvey Smith
President: Roland Clark
Vice-President: Stuart Dawes
Secretary: Doug Davies
Treasurer: David Jackson
Editor: David Ryde (Journal of the NZTCA)
The following year, 1976, on the 7th and 8th April, 78 members attended the first Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association at Ruakura, Hamilton.
From such humble beginnings rose the NZTCA. Each Branch has its own history which I believe would be of great interest to many people, particularly some of our newer members. It would be appreciated if some of you reading this would investigate your Branch history and write about it for our magazine... before it is too late.