Port Elizebeth 1847
It All Started Long, Long Ago...
Past Mixed with the Present and the Future
We are sitting on the veranda of the beautiful characteristic manor house with Geoff Orpen, fourth-generation farmer, who is telling the story of his great-great-grandfather Joseph.
“He arrived in Port Elizabeth in 1847 and trekked by ox-wagon to join his brothers who were farming near Colesberg. After a few years he decided to follow in his eldest brother’s footsteps and qualified as a land surveyor in 1850.
He and his brother were delegated by the British Government to survey the Harrismith District. Shortly thereafter Joseph was elected to the Free State Volksraad and was largely responsible for drawing up the Constitution. He also served as a member of the Free State Supreme Court and later became a Magistrate for Winburg and Harrismith. He founded the town of Kroonstad in 1855, naming the town after a horse called Kroon which he had earlier witnessed falling into a ravine and dying”
In the early 1860’s he moved to Aliwal North to lay out the farms in the North Eastern Cape. During the course of this work, he carried out the survey of farms in the New England District of Barkly East, including Snowdon and Avoca. The farms in the district were named by him. A great number of the farms in the district are named after various landmarks in the UK and were auctioned off in around 1865. He put in a bid for Avoca (4 200 hectares) and Snowdon (3 340 hectares) for the upset price of £90, which was equal to the surveying cost. There was no higher bid and he became the owner of the farms on 18 May 1866. Cape Legislative Assembly in 1872 as a member for Queens town and Wodehouse, positions he held for many years. He initiated the policy of annexing the territories between the Cape Colony and Natal and was appointed Chief Magistrate. Shortly thereafter he reverted to his professional career and served as an MP until 1897 when he went to Rhodesia as Surveyor General and Minister of Lands and Agriculture. He died in 1923 at the ripe age of 95. We pour more coffee and Geoff continues telling this amazing historical story. “Joseph farmed this farm with his son, Claude (my great-grandfather), who took over the farming operation in 1900. He was largely responsible for the development of the National Woolgrowers’ Association, during which time he became the first president in 1927. During World War II, he was sent to Egypt by Field Mar shall Smuts to buy horses for the government. On his travels he met King Farouk of Egypt and purchased two stallions and three mares from his stables. With this breeding stock, the Avoca Arab horse stud was started. Sadly, in 1933, during the great depression, half the farm was sold off to reduce the financial burden of the farming enterprise.
Avoca is the home of the second oldest Sussex stud in the country. The farm is situated in the picturesque Drakensberg near Barkly East. The story of the Orpens, takes us back to the potato famine in Ireland in 1845 when people were escaping starvation by sailing across the world in search of a better future. Aboard such a ship was a man by the name of Joseph Millerd Orpen who was born in Dublin, and arrived in the Cape in 1846 with six of his siblings who had boarded a ship in Liverpool.
Above is the original dumpy level that Joseph Orpen used to survey the farmland of
New England. He bought Avoca and Showdon for £90
“My father, Michael, joined Claude on the farm after the war in 1947 and disposed of the horse stud in 1955. Concentrating on merino flock breeding and dairy farming, he later branched out to start a Hampshire Down sheep stud in 1962. Six years later disaster struck the entire stud contracted “scrapie” and had to be culled and incinerated. It was during this time that Mike started the Avoca Sussex Stud. He searched for a breed that would adapt to the cold conditions and reproduce efficiently and effectively
In 1969 Michael travelled to England and purchased four heifer calves and a stud bull. In addition, he bought a further nine animals in Natal and eight in the Eastern Cape. These animals formed the basis for the Avoca Sussex Stud. Mike served on the Sussex council for many years and was later elected President. He also served on the National Wool growers’ Association. He retired from farming in 1991 and handed over the reins of the Avoca Sussex Stud to his son Geoff Orpen.
The beautiful farmstead in the picturesque Drakensberg is the home of the Avoca Sussex and Dormer studs.
The farm is close to the famous ski resort, Tiffendell
From 1966 to the Current Day - May 20, 2024
From his first marriage, Geoff has three sons, Kevin, Jason and Mark. So he decided to do an MBA in 2000. “I was always intrigued by the corporate environment and often wondered if I would make a success of it. The problem was I didn’t know how to do a spreadsheet or even used a cell phone when I enrolled,” he laughs.
He completed his studies for an MBA in 2004 and decided to take up a position as a consultant in East London. “My kids were at school in East London, and this was a way to see them every second weekend. I also travelled to the farm a lot and had someone managing it. I became involved with projects funded by the European Union and other donor entities and used my knowledge from farming and my studies to good effect.”
Geoff says that when he ventured into the corporate world, he was nervous about his abilities but soon realised that most people operating in that environment don’t have nearly half the skills that farmers have. “It is our second nature to manage, assess risk, plan, communicate (in more than one language), market, sell and operate a production line.
In addition to the Sussex stud, he started a Dormer stud in 2006. The main aim behind the stud was to breed his own rams. “I normally keep the Dormers on other farms and away from my Merino commercial flock.” I have a special spot for the Dormers, as they are a highly fertile breed and produce lambs that grow and grow. “The Dormer and Sussex studs are his passion, yet he runs a high-quality merino flock to add diversification to the business.
For the past eight years, Geoff has joined forces with Johan du Randt and his son Juan to have their annual production sale in Aliwal North. As a result, the Avoca and Mountain Shadows production sale has grown from strength to strength.
“This year was our 8th production sale, and we averaged R63 000 on the bulls, R32 000 on commercial Sussex cows and R10 000 on the Dormer rams. The prices were fantastic!” “Our breeding and sale policy is to focus on our clients. Our mission and goal is to visit as many clients as possible in the year after the production sale. Johan and I travel about 15 000 km annually to see our clients and assess how the animals they have bought have adapted and are performing.
At the same time, we can better understand our clients. We believe our animals are affordable, and people can buy a stud bull for R45 000 that is hardy, tough and fertile and will breed well.” Geoff is on the Council of the Sussex Society and, together with Dave McCall, is responsible for marketing the Sussex breed. “One thing I learned from the Covid pandemic is that I can now sell a bull to an Australian farmer, and our merchandise is available on a virtual platform for anybody to buy. The electronic media is quick and very effective.”
After a beautiful lunch, it was time to say goodbye and return to the equally scenic Eastern Free State. One leaves Avoca with nostalgia after talking about the past mixed with the present and the future. Creating his history, the charismatic Geoff is adding another chapter to the famous Orpen family book.