Peter Harmer of Castleridge Station has been compiling a history of Mid Canterbury high country stations.
Castleridge is in the Ashburton Gorge, where many a visitor often asked him about stations in the area.
‘‘A lot of people are related to it, a lot of people come up that gorge for a drive and are wondering where these places were that people worked on in the early days.’’
Peter, 76, and his late wife Mary farmed Mt Alford Station, before selling it and buying up part of Barrosa Station in 1992, naming it Castle Ridge Station.
They got the name from a block of land in the area, which was colloquially referred to as Castle Ridge.
The station later became officially known as Castleridge, the two words merged into one.
In his history compilation, Peter explains the reasoning behind the heritage of the name.
‘‘Because it was situated between two creeks that would look suitable for an area where a castle could have been built.’’
Peter and Mary later built a new home on the property so the next generation of farmers, their son Paul and wife Kerry, could move into the homestead. Peter remains in the home today.
As a fourth generation Mid Canterbury farmer, the high country is in his blood.
‘‘I will never come out of there. I will be dead when I come out of there. I just like the hills. I have always been in the hills, there’s something about it,’’ he said.
His grandfather James J Harmer senior mustered in the area before marrying Margaret Hutt who was the daughter of Mt Alford Station owner Joseph Hutt.
Peter had farmed sheep, cattle and deer. It was a job he missed today, especially mustering.
‘‘Just the dog work, and the stock work,’’ Peter said.
He mustered in country from the Rangitata to Kaikoura.
