Matipo Farm was my grandfather’s farm in the Wairarapa in the early part of the 20th century. My mother grew up there, along with her older brother and sister. The farm produced mostly wool which was baled and shipped to market. The bales were all marked with the farm name to identify them for sale. The original iron template used to paint “MATIPO” on the bales can be seen in my header image on a background of silver matipo foliage.

The farm was named for the silver matipo trees on it, which were Pittosporum Tenuifolium, named for their luminous foliage, rather than Mysine Australis, the Red Matipo. An old newspaper clipping from 1910 shows Wairarapa Nurseries advertising silver matipo for hedging.

The blog consists of family memories, snippets and pictures I have found in old family albums or archives. The idea began as I tidied out my parents home after they moved into a rest home and I wondered what to do with this treasure trove of family history. Then a radio item on citizen history caught my interest, and the blog was born. The posts happen intermittently when I have the time, they are in no particular chronological order and occasionally there may be a real time post.

The dogs are Lagotto Romagnolo, Italian water dogs also known as Italian truffle dogs.  Originally a retriever for water fowl in north-eastern Italy (Romagna), they have exceptional noses and are now more commonly used for sniffing out truffles. These dogs make great active family pets as they are smart, loving, loyal and have a non shedding coat.