Kincaid Lodge History

The first European owner of Kincaid Downs was George Fyffe. He gained a leasehold license from the crown in 1856 for "all that lay between the sea at Half Moon Bay to the base of Mt. Tapuaenuku, containing the Blue Duck valley, the area drained by the Puhi Puhi and Hapuku rivers, the whole of Mt. Fyffe and the flat that sprawled from it's base". Fyffe called his run "The Puhi Puhi".

In 1862 Fyffe sold the license to A.W. and H.A. Ingles and C.H.S Pasley. They named the run Kincaid after the Ingles home in the Stirling district Scotland. Pasley left the partnership in 1869.

In 1874 the Kincaid run was subdivided into two new runs, Kincaid and Mt Fyffe. The Ingles brothers retained the title to the now reduced Kincaid and built a large wooden homestead on the property. This house was burnt down in the 1930's.

To try to eliminate the sheep disease scab the Ingles brother's separated and split the property again. H.A. Ingles registered 6379 sheep on the block he called "The Puhi". A.W. Ingles registered 1150 sheep on what he called Kincaid. Scab ruined both brothers and in 1897 the runs reverted to the Crown from whom they had originally been leased.

By this time the whole area had been surveyed and sections and blocks of Crown land were put up for ballot and auction. Kincaid was bought by Athelston Parsons. In 1900 Athelston Parsons sold 1800 acres of Kincaid for 8000 pounds to his brother Estcourt Parsons.

In September 1903 the existing homestead was completed. Estcourt also built a first class stable block, which still exists under the trees to the south of the homestead. Behind the stables, to make shelter from the southerly wind, he planted a double row of Douglas fir and Larch. These extended up the hill behind the house. The mulberry tree beside the lounge and pepper tree on the drive also date from this time.

In 1910 Edmund Parsons and his wife May returned to work for his father (Estcourt). In 1913 Edmund started to lease Kincaid Downs. In 1931 Ned and Moana (Edmund and May Parsons niece) Latter took up the lease and then soon after bought Kincaid Downs. In 1964 their son Richard and his wife Julie took over. They sold the property in 1998, thus ended the long Parsons family association with Kincaid Downs.