Country Life: Devcich Farm Shines A Light On Dalmatian Pioneers
The items are in the farm's old trading post where, early last century, gum diggers and loggers came to buy stores for their camps up the Kauaeranga Valley on the Coromandel Peninsula.
There's also an old blacksmith's forge, a timber mill with sawpit and a winery complete with antique wine-making tools and a pungent aroma of sherry.
The Devcich family, originally from Dalmatia, now part of Croatia, farmed here last century. Their legacy, the Devcich Farmstead, is listed as a place of special significance with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, for 'reflecting significant developments in Dalmatian settlement in early twentieth-century New Zealand'.
The sheds, now clustered under a Croatian flag, also reveal their industriousness and range of skills.
Simun Devcich arrived in New Zealand from Podgora with his two brothers, Marion Anton and Nicola just after the turn of the 20th century. They worked their way up through gum digging and trading and into farming, buying the block, much bigger then, in 1915.
Simun had married another immigrant from Dalmatia, Matija Mercep, in 1913 and eventually took on the farm from his brothers, going from dairy to sheep farming, with his three sons working alongside.
Commercial farming has stopped now but Simun's granddaughter, Lorenza Devcich, has restored the buildings and runs a menagerie of coloured sheep, llamas, Highland cattle, emus and assorted exotic birds on the land which remains, with tourists often staying in the old homestead.
'My grandfather and his two brothers, they came from Yugoslavia to escape the army.
'Even for years after, the young men would leave because as soon as they got of age … they would get thrown into the army.'
'My grandfather had about 11 pack horses that he and his boys, my uncles and father, used to pack supplies right up into all the camps at the top end of the valley.
'When they'd first come here, a lot of [the gum diggers followed by loggers] had no money, so a lot of it was on credit.
'He also bought gum and sold it. So, they'd come back here with the gum, and that's how he'd get paid.'
Dalmatian immigrants were among New Zealand's wine making pioneers and the Devcich family was producing wine on a small scale from the late 1920s, under their Golden Valley label.
Lorenza remembers helping her father Ivan in the wine shed which still houses a wooden fermenting vat and other wine-making tools.
'And there's probably the last standing bottle of sherry up there, still with some sherry in it. It hasn't been touched. And maybe it could even be one of the ones that I bottled, because my job here was the dog's body.'
Lorenza still tends to the 80-year-old grape vines today, using 'the worst talkback radio station' she can find to blare out and scare away the birds.
'The sherry and the wine were all made from grapes grown on the property. All the beautiful, big black Albany Surprise, I think it's called, … is still there producing.
While the saw mill now stands quiet and the trading post has shut its doors, the farm courtyard is now home to a strutting peacock, brightly coloured pheasants and guinea fowl.
Lorenza stores their feed in a shed once used to stable Simun's beloved racehorses, an interest he took up in later life.
'They got fed all the lovely, cooked barley and everything. You'd go into the house, and you'd smell it cooking on the old coal range … all the old farm horses, the pack horses and everything else, just lucky if they got thrown some hay.'
She has somewhat sad memories of Simun.
'He got kicked in the stomach by a racehorse and ruptured his stomach, and he survived that, but then not long after, he had a stroke.
'I used to love sitting down talking to him, but when I'd start talking to him, get him to tell me the history, he'd get upset and start crying.'
He died in 1971, once a strong active man and very much the 'boss' in his day, and one of the pioneers of the valley, Lorenza said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
04-08-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Postmistress bids farewell after 26 years
After more than two decades of handwritten letters, local gossip and cheerful hellos across the counter, Val Butcher is stepping down from her post. The much-loved postmistress of the Ophir Post Office has called time on her 26-year career, retiring from one of New Zealand's most iconic buildings. But do not expect her to disappear. "I'll probably still loiter at the Post Office to catch up with people," she said with a smile. "And I've still got to write my monthly community newsletter, so no peace for the wicked. "Retirement's just another kind of delivery, really. You never quite know what's in the next envelope." Ms Butcher first stepped behind the old schist counter as a relieving staffer — and never really left. "Right time, right place," she said. "Right job for me." And what a job it has been. Nestled in Central Otago and watched over by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, the 1886-built Ophir Post Office is not just a postcard-perfect tourist magnet, it is the country's longest-operating post office. Ms Butcher said it was the people who made the place so special. "The community is very caring, and visitors bring so much with them — stories, histories, a few wrong turns." Ms Butcher's tenure saw her through bitter winters ("the mail must get through, regardless"), plenty of milestones, and more than a few tearful goodbyes. But it is the everyday joys that have stayed with her — surprise engagements, newborn announcements and even the odd birthday cake passed over the counter. "It's these lovely little moments that really rub off on you," she said. "You end up being part of everyone's life in some small way." Of course, not every day was easy. "There have been sad times, too," she said. "But this community always rallies. That's what makes Ophir so special." Her highlights? There have been many. Being featured in Shepherdess magazine was a proud moment — though it was outshone last year when her grandson, Finn Butcher, struck gold at the Paris Olympics in the men's kayak cross. "I didn't win the medal, but I reckon I got just as many congratulations," she laughs. "People were popping in all week." Ms Butcher credits her time at the Post Office with giving her confidence, friendships and — perhaps most importantly — a very solid reason to get out of bed. "I've never been lonely," she said. "This job connected me to everyone." As she hands over the keys and closes the ledger for the last time, Ms Butcher is looking forward to a slower pace — and a bit more time with her children and grandchildren. Still, no-one is quite convinced she is gone for good. "She'll be back," one local said. "She can't resist a good chinwag and a cuppa." And Ms Butcher does not deny it. — Allied Media
Otago Daily Times
26-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Category 1 status for church ‘great news'
Kakanui church owners Anna Miles and Michael Simpson (right), and their dog Pippa (left) on the doorstep of the category 1 historic place, and the interior (centre) of the restored former community church that still houses the original piano organ from 1901. PHOTO: JULES CHIN A preservation project has paid off for the dedicated efforts of the passionate owners of the Kakanui church that is now listed as a category 1 historic place with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. The former Kakanui Presbyterian Church, a modest Carpenter Gothic building designed by renowned Scottish-born Dunedin architect Robert Arthur Lawson, has undergone a significant transformation in recent years thanks to Waimate-based couple Michael Simpson and Anna Miles. The pair are ecstatic their restoration project has reached category 1 status after working on the former church since they bought it in 2019. "We are absolutely thrilled and delighted. It's great news," Mr Simpson said. Category 1 historic places are of special or outstanding historical or cultural significance or value. Ms Miles said the church and the area surrounding meant a lot to them and the Kakanui community. "It's just a special spot ... the river, the beach, this place. "So many people came in while we were working on the church and because it was already a notable building and the community had battled to try and save it and fundraise for it when the church still owned it," Mr Simpson said. Built in 1870, and once the spiritual heart of Kakanui, the timber church had weathered decades of change before its final service in November 2019 in the seaside town. Mr Simpson and Ms Miles, who attended the last service, said it was "emotional" and embodied the deep connection the Kakanui community had to the church. Since buying the property, the couple have steadily restored the structure, replacing sub-floor bearing joists, corner studs and weatherboards, improving drainage, restoring windows and repainting the interior. Their restoration has extended to the church's outbuildings — including the bible class hall added in 1933, two small buildings acquired in 1955 for the growing Sunday school and even a brownies den. They say they have kept the budget to a minimum by working with original materials "to minimise waste" as much as possible. They have also strived to keep original details such as original boarding and the iron straps added to the building in 1884 to stop the church from "getting battered by northwest winds", Mr Simpson said. Mr Simpson, a carpenter with heritage expertise, and Ms Miles, equally hands-on, saw the church as more than just a building and have brought it back to life with community events including a night market and musical gigs, Christmas carols and even a friend's wedding. "We'd seen so much loss of heritage and we knew we could work to preserve it ... we see ourselves as stewards of the building". Mr Lawson (1833-1902), the church's architect, is well known for many of Oamaru's classical buildings including the National Bank, the Bank of New South Wales and the Star and Garter Hotel. Mr Simpson said it was "was super exciting" when they got the listing "to get a stab" at preserving the history of the church. The couple said initial meetings with Waitaki District Council building advisers and engagement with Heritage New Zealand had been "fantastic". "The building advisers were so receptive to our ideas ... and Heritage New Zealand assessment adviser Alison Brees who came up and then did a report on it, it was so comprehensive and she was learning, so much," Mr Simpson said. "She was doing all the research on the social history of Kakanui and what it was a symbol of," Ms Miles said. After various project ideas the couple opted to stick to the "essence" of the original design of the building. They have also made some interesting discoveries throughout the restoration of the 154-year-old church including Roman numerals etched into wood behind some of the boards. "Because this was kit-set, likely built off-site or pre-assembled offsite. "An intern at Heritage NZ also discovered through old photos that the bent and forked roof was actually for the rope that went up to the bell on the bell tower," Mr Simpson said. Making the commute from Waimate at any chance they get, they describe the restoration as their "hobby", but the project has taken on new meaning for them as it has progressed. "We saw it as a building project on day one, but it just keeps turning into something else — having events in the church, and restoring it as well as we can, means that it should have a life beyond us, and that's what we want." Mr Simpson said. Originally designed to seat 100 worshippers, the church was constructed in just three months during a period of ambitious development. Hopes were high that the newly built port would turn the coastal settlement into a major export hub. While those dreams faded, the church remained a part of the community's life for nearly 150 years. The couple say they have had "so much fun" restoring the former church and have been grateful not to have a set deadline to be able to enjoy the process at their own pace. Ms Miles said the wider community outreach and public submissions in support of the building to achieve a category 1 historic place had been immense. "All these people submitted saying they thought it was a great idea. They all got involved; it was amazing," she said. Mr Simpson said they were told it was a "recent record" for the number of submissions they received. The couple plan to continue restoration of the church and to celebrate its new-found heritage status with an open day event "to welcome all" in spring. "If we have a gin at the end of the day sitting in here and looking at the ceiling and thinking how lovely it is, well, what else could you want?" Mr Simpson said.
Otago Daily Times
17-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Historic building given new life
A small wooden church built in 1870 with hopes of serving a booming port town has found new life in the 21st century thanks to the dedicated efforts of two passionate owners. The former Kakanui Presbyterian church, a modest Carpenter Gothic building designed by renowned Scottish-born Dunedin architect Robert Arthur Lawson, has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Once the spiritual heart of Kakanui, the timber church had weathered decades of change before its final service in November 2019. Designed to seat 100 worshippers, the church was constructed in just three months during a period of ambitious development. Hopes were high that the newly built port would turn the coastal settlement into a major export hub. While those dreams faded, the church remained a part of the community's life for nearly 150 years. When Michael Simpson and Anna Miles first saw the church listed for sale, it was the building's historical and architectural significance that drew them in. "We like that it's Robert Lawson's smallest, most modest surviving building," Mr Simpson said. Mr Simpson, a carpenter with heritage expertise, and Ms Miles, equally hands-on, saw the church as more than just a building. "We never had a particular plan except to restore it. There was no timeframe, no budget — and that's why it's been such a pleasure," Mr Simpson said. Since buying the property in 2019, the couple have steadily restored the structure, replacing sub-floor bearing joists, corner studs and weatherboards, improving drainage, restoring windows and repainting the interior. Their restoration has extended to the church's outbuildings — including the bible class hall added in 1933, two small buildings acquired in 1955 for the growing Sunday School and even a Brownies den. Ms Miles said the emotional connections uncovered during the restoration had made the project even more meaningful. "The more we've got to know the building, the more we've realised it's a special space that means a lot to a lot of other people. "We see ourselves as stewards of the building." Keeping the church's doors open has become part of the couple's philosophy. Visitors frequently drop in to share stories and memories or simply admire the restored space. Since 2019, the church has hosted weddings, musical performances, art exhibitions and carol services. Mr Simpson said it did not need to be a commercial space. "But we've realised it should have a life of its own and a reason to exist. We get quite emotional seeing all the life in the building." Now a listed category 1 historic place with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, the church has received official recognition of its architectural and social significance. — APL
