Totara Estate Celebrates its 'Bright New Day'

New Zealand Historic Places Trust information release
13 November 2003

Kiwi folk icon Phil Garland premiered his song 'Bright New Day' as Totara Estate, birthplace of New Zealand's frozen meat industry located just south of Oamaru, celebrated the opening of its redevelopment today.

Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, the Rt. Hon. Helen Clark officially opened the redeveloped Totara Estate at a lunch-time ceremony against the backdrop of a fully-operating Victorian Estate with live demonstrations of pioneer farming practice.

"This is indeed a 'bright new day' not just for Totara Estate, but for heritage interpretation in New Zealand" said New Zealand Historic Places Trust Chief Executive, Dr Bill Tramposch. "The upgrades to this New Zealand Historic Places Trust property are the result of a significant partnership with major meat and port companies whose vision and commitment we greatly value. I pay tribute in particular to the role played by John Acland in facilitating the project."

Guests were shown the many improvements made to the site, including the recreated slaughterhouse with its sound and light show creating the atmosphere of butchers working on the line in 1882, an introductory video to the site and the history of the meat and port industries, and the early New Zealand sheep breeds that have been re-introduced to the property.

"Totara Estate is a national treasure of international significance, and we believe the upgrades to the site mark a benchmark in heritage interpretation nationally" said Dr Tramposch. "It's great to see the story of New Zealand's first frozen meat shipment, prepared here, and the industry it gave birth to, told in such a new and refreshing way. We are confident that the public will react to the redevelopment as favourably as our guests today have."

For more information:

Scott Elliffe
Property Manager
Totara Estate
Tel: 03 434 7169 or 021 216 9851
Email: totaraestate@historic.org.nz

OR

Bruce Albiston
General Manager Southern
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
Ph: 03 377 3968 or 0274 844 088