Part 4 Farming changes in Dorie since 1990 – problems with water, new dairy farms Judith Armstrong – 13/10/03 In the fifteen years since Ron and I farmed our land at Dorie a whole raft of developments have progressed together to form a completely new and different farming picture in mid-Canterbury. In the most recent…
Part 3 Improvements well established, but problems insuperable – expensive electricity and labour costs and sudden government policy changes Dorothy – 13/10/03 Irrigation The dry conditions in the land between Rakaia and the sea made farming very difficult. The light topsoil would be blown away in the strong winds. However, talking about the need did…
Part 2 Problems developing a neglected property – too little money and too much work Dorothy – 13/10/03 Signs of neglect When Ron took over the farm it was running 500 ewes and they were starving from lack of feed as the place was so run down. The problems facing Ron and Judith included dilapidated…
Part 1 Farm training, farm purchase, and marriage Dorothy – 13/10/03 To those who know little about the problems faced by the farmers who developed the land, the Mid-Canterbury plains look like an easy place to farm. In reality Ron and Judith Armstrong were faced with serious problems as they toiled to upgrade a neglected…
Lynette Hartley Reprinted from the University of Canterbury’s Chronicle – 13/10/03 The southern wall of the photocopy room in the Physics and Astronomy Department is about to become one of the most studied walls in the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. Over the next few weeks, a 1.6m by 1.6m ring laser, weighing more than…
The last months – October 2002 to May 2003 Dorothy – 01/10/03 Neil and Gae Cherry showed great courage and inner strength in their stoic acceptance of the limitations imposed on them both by Neil’s motor neurone disease. They frequently expressed their immense gratitude to the carers who made life at home possible for Neil….
News release from the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust – 19/09/03 The Auckland Energy Consumer Trust has reiterated its calls for the government to review current laws that prevent electricity network owners like the AECT from investing significantly in the electricity generation industry. AECT chair Karen Sherry said the government continues to fiddle around with short-term…
Travel an integral part of Neil’s life and career Dorothy – 19/09/03 Travel within New Zealand and internationally became an increasing part of Neil Cherry’s career and the Cherry family’s life as the years went by. As Neil’s work on meteorology, climatology, wind research, and the dangers of electromagnetic radiation became more widely known, the…
Moana Tipu Reprinted with permission from the Ngai Tahu magazine, “Te Karaka” – 19/09/03 Ko tau hikoi i runga i taku whariki Ko tau noho ki toku whare Ka huakina ai ko aku tatau, ko aku matapihi Your steps on my whariki your respect for my home opens my doors and windows It is a…
A bitter-sweet time Dorothy – 17/09/03 In November 2001 Neil Cherry received sweet and bitter news – the award of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work in science, education and the community, and a diagnosis of probable motor neurone disease. November 27 2001 – the day when the wonderful news arrived Neil…
