Judea Sale Yards, 1950

Guest post by Anne Baker (née Stead)

When I was about 10 years old a Mrs London supplied the refreshments on Sale Days. This was done from a shed by the entrance to Mr Robins’ farm and along his driveway was a row of very tall walnut trees. The water for the tea was boiled on an open fire by the shed doorway and my mother helped with the sandwiches.

When I realised it was a Wednesday and the stock sale was on, I would ‘throw a sickie’ so I could go with her to the sale. The shed had a big drop-down wooden servery facing the stockyards and the teas were served through there to the stock agents, truck drivers and farmers attending the sale. I had to sit under this shelf — out of sight!

Sheep Fair - Judea, Bay of Plenty Times, publ. 24 Jan 1961
Tauranga City Libraries, Gifford-Cross Series, Ref. gca-525

After the sale was over, us kids used to go over to the yards and ride on the sheep — good fun!  — until the truck drivers chased us away. Two truck drivers I remember, Gerald and his son Charlie Bennett, Andersons drivers I think, and stock agents —  Archie Strang and Montgomery (Monty.)

I enjoyed the atmosphere and the sound of the auctioneering sale, especially when a beast escaped. Dogs and men put on ‘quite a circus’ until it was back in the yards.

Annual Heifer Sale, Judea, Bay of Plenty Times, publ. 24 August 1963
Tauranga City Libraries, Gifford-Cross Series, Ref. gca-5381

One day I fell into the sheep dip there, my biggest brother, Ernie, pulled me out. We walked up the road (past Mr Robins’ long boundary hedge that had lovely climbing roses growing through it) to the Judea Store where Mrs Jamieson gave me some of her daughter Peggy’s clothes to wear home. Then I got in BIG TROUBLE.

Mrs Jamieson was Mr London’s sister (he had beehives) and she had a big garden where London Place is now. There was a big fence all round the garden and there lived a big, big tortoise.

Sometimes the stock for the sale was driven down a dirt track from 12th Avenue. Formerly the Kopurerua River ran in a curve alongside the road towards 11th Ave. Later this was filled in by a rubbish dump and the river ran in a straight line to the estuary.

 Editors Note: You may also enjoy Beth Bowden’s previous 2019 post on the Judea Sale Yards