Longbeach Station

In 1864 John Grigg, a farmer from Bodbrane, Cornwall took possession of a large property in Mid Canterbury called Longbeach.  It comprised of 32,000 acres, including all the land between the Ashburton and Hinds rivers and an area south of the Hinds, from the Pacific to the east to Boundary Road in the west, approximately two miles east of the present South Island Main Trunk railway line.  Then described a "an  impenetrable bog, a vast swamp of flax and toi-toi." 
By 1896 the estate consisted of 14,000 the rest having been sold to settlers.  There were 160 permanent staff plus the families and casual labourers. When John died in 1901 a statue of him was erected in Baring Square Ashburton.  His son J C N Grigg then farmed, followed by his son G H Grigg.  When he retired his daughter and her husband David Thomas took over.  Today the great-great-grandson of John Grigg, Bill Thomas and his wife Penny farm Longreach.  The homestead garden is 30 acres and attended to by Penny with help from a local who mows the lawn on a ride-on which takes 3 days!
In extras is the cookhouse with Model A's in front