About Us
Our back story
Scottish origins, proud Kiwis!
180 years ago Captain Moses Campbell, his wife Jessie and their 5 kids, departed from Greenock in Scotland onboard the Blenheim. Four months later they arrived in Wellington, New Zealand (1840).
For the historians, there’s a fascinating journal written by Jessie Campbell here which chronicles her time aboard the ship from Scotland to NZ. This included losing one of their daughters along the way (Isabella, age 1). Clearly not an easy journey in those days.
A few months after arriving in Wellington, Moses and Jessie moved their family to Whanganui and settled at Wiritoa.
Our beginnings on the farm
Beautiful country, hard toil.
Moses & Jessie’s grandson, Douglas Campbell, purchased Rātāmarumaru farm in a private sale just before the second world war (1928). It was probably a business venture more than a love of farming as he never actually lived there! With the Great Depression and WWII to follow, his attention was elsewhere and the farm quietly regressed.
It wasn’t until 1968 that Douglas’ grandsons, brothers Dougal and Cam McIntosh*, moved onto the farm (in their twenties at the time). They would spend years working to clear the land of considerable scrub and gorse that had gone largely unchecked for three decades, tough bloody work!
Dougal and Cam took over the running of Rātāmarumaru in 1970, and around that time started their own respective families. Dougal and his wife Di bought the farm out ten years later in 1980, and have been living there ever since.
* Moses and Jessie’s Great Great Grandsons.
Who we are
Whanganui farmers Dougal and Di McIntosh own Rātāmarumaru farm. The day to day farming operation is managed by Dave Brosnahan. Peter Lissington oversees the forestry operation.
Dougal and Di’s vision is to develop a sustainable farm and forestry business that will help support future generations of their family.
Sustainable
We believe in building an evironmentally sustainable farming operation. Over half the farm is now in renewable forestry, and we work hard to protect and preserve the native bush blocks on the farm.
Progressive
We are constantly looking at how to develop the land and our usage of it. For example, we are one of the first forestry operations in NZ to plant Redwoods on a large scale.
Enduring
Farming is tough, but farmers are resilient. Rātāmarumaru has endured over many tough times, both environmental and political. It all boils down to a hard work ethic and a love of this special land.
Dougal McIntosh
Owner
Di McIntosh
Owner
Dave Brosnahan
farm operation