It was one of three North Canterbury properties recognised.
Josh Daly and Lauren Nimmo farm The Lakes, in partnership with Josh’s parents Vince and Faye Daly.
Josh is the fifth generation of the Kelly-Daly family to farm The Lakes, which is situated at the south end of the Cheviot basin.
The farm’s story began in 1893 when the Cheviot estate was purchased by the government of the time following the death of William "Ready Money" Robinson, as his immediate descendants disputed paying death duties.
The estate was divided for settlement by small farmers.
Some lots were sold but most were drawn in a ballot under a lease-in-perpetuity scheme.
James Edward Kelly drew the block but as he was a minor, the lease was transferred to his father William Kelly.
In March 1895. William established The Lakes. It was bare land with no accommodation and fences had still to be erected.
The Kellys initially lived in a tent until a small two-bedroom cottage was built.
Cattle were the principal source of income in the first years and by 1899 the Kellys were sowing wheat for sale. In 1901 the first sheep were reported.
There was no easy way to send produce to market as the railway didn’t arrive until 1907.
William transferred the lease to his eldest son Frank on September 15 1903 following Frank’s marriage to Maud Winter, (Josh Daly’s great grandmother).
A new house was built over the cottage with four bedrooms, lounge, bathroom, kitchen, an outside toilet and wash house, and wheat, oats, chaff and wool became the mainstays of the farm income.
Frank Kelly died in 1912, aged 42, in from hydatids,leaving his widow Maud with five children under 10.
She employed Jeremiah Daly — Josh’s great grandfather — to help on the farm. Maud and Jeremiah were married on September 1913 and they had two children: John (Josh’s grandfather) and Patrick.
In 1920 an additional 50 acres was added to the eastern boundary and in 1939 the family acquired the Killarney block on the northern boundary of The Lakes.
John and Pat stayed and worked on the farm through the war years.
When Jeremiah died in 1952, John Daly inherited the lease.
John Daly and his wife Molly had five children and continued to develop The Lakes and refurbished the homestead once again.
When their son Vincent married Faye Groters in 1982 , the young couple purchased The Lakes’ LIP lease from John and Molly, who had moved to a retirement block on nearby Homeview Rd.
Vincent and Faye freeholded The Lakes in 1989. Development continued and in 1998 Vince and Faye reinstated the lake, which had silted up over the years, using the opportunity of an extensive drought that led to the ability to irrigate.
In 2003 the farm was awarded a Ballance farm environment merit certificate "for water harvesting and developing an innovative water storage system".
The Lakes is still run as a mixed cropping farm with some dairy support.
Vincent’s elder brother, Tony, has written a book detailing the history of the family farm.
