Historic Homesteads of Hawkes Bay

In Hawkes’ Bay, in the late 19th Century, wealthy wool barons built magnificent homesteads on vast properties. They were often designed by notable architects and used quality native timbers. Over the years, as wool prices shrank and fortunes declined, many owners sold off some of the surrounding farmland. It left the homestands still standing in parklike surroundings as monuments to a gracious and privileged lifestyle.  The author Angus Gordon grew up in Clifton, one of these historic homesteads. It has stayed in his family through the generations, and they are still making a living from their land by diversifying.