Our Story
Located 15 mins drive outside of Tekapo Township, Will and Ems Murray farm merino (sheep), deer and cattle on Glenmore Station.
Covering 19,000-odd hectares, the property rises from the western shore of Lake Tekapo to the border of the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.
The Cass Valley
The Cass Valley is situated on the western side of Lake Tekapo, offering a world of natural wonder and beauty. The Cass Valley encompasses a large block of mountainous country, containing high inherent landscape values of The Mackenzie Country. The overall naturalness of the rocky steep scree slides, the U-shaped valleys carved by glaciation, waterfalls, glaciers, lateral moraines and tussock-clad terraces, overwhelm the senses and ignite the wonder of such a supremely stunning and unique landscape.
The Cass Valleys braided river system and Delta is also a special environment for some of New Zealand’s most endangered nesting birds such as The Black Stilt, The Wry Bill, The Black Fronted Turn, The Banded Dotterel, The Black Billed Gull and the Oyster Catcher.
Image © Rachael McKenna
Our Sustainability Story
At Glenmore Station, kaitiakitanga — guardianship of the land — is at the heart of everything we do. Our 1,200-hectare QEII National Trust covenant protects one of New Zealand’s finest examples of kettle hole tarns, preserving rare glacial wetlands that are home to unique and sensitive ecosystems.
We work closely with Professor of Ecology David Norton on our Farm Management Plan that focuses on recognising and promoting the diverse range of values present on the property. Our
primary goal is to produce high quality fibre and red meat from Merino sheep and Angus cattle, and to offer world-class ski-touring opportunities, while providing for our family now and in the future. We aim to do this while sustaining and where appropriate enhancing the significant inherent natural values of the property. Farm management planning is central to this as it allows explicit consideration of the different values each part of the farm has and the interactions that occur between them.
Glenmore is also a proud participant in the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP) — a nationally recognised certification that reinforces our standards in animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and responsible farm management. This builds a proud level of credibility as we produce top quality merino wool for Devold of Norway who then create high quality garments that are fully traceable through their sheep to shop programme.
Over the past three years, we’ve proudly partnered with Te Manahuna Aoraki in their mission to eradicate introduced predators and restore the natural balance of the high country. This collaboration supports a landscape-wide vision for conservation and biodiversity.
We believe our farming practices align with a deep respect for people, place, and planet as per the Tiaki philosophy. As part of our ongoing commitment to waterway health, we’re actively fencing off water bodies across the station to protect these critical habitats.
Sustainability at Glenmore is a long-term way of life.
Glenmore Merino Stud
The Glenmore Merino Stud has been an integral part of our farming practice since 1976.
Perfectly suited to the environment in which they roam freely, our aim is to consistently produce a high-quality merino fibre with good alignment and nourishment within our breeding programme.
We are proud to have been winners of the Supreme Champion Fleece at the Wanaka Show in both 2020 and 2021.
The Glenmore Merino Stud was founded by Jim & Anne Murray in 1976. We have always bred heavy cutting, well-nourished 19-micron rams that suit our gorge property. Today we sell over 120 rams annually from Marlborough to the Shotover River.
The emphasis has always been on producing a constantly sound ram displaying very crimpy, bold wool with good alignment and nourishment. Our commercial ewe wool clip has had an average of 18.7-19 micron for the past five years and cutting just over 6kg.
We work closely with our Australian stud consultant Chris Bowman. Chris brings a lifetime of practical knowledge to the industry and is also employed by most of our ram clients to class their commercial flocks. This serves to align our breeding goals with those of our clients.
We also work with NeXtgen Agri to create and maximise our estimated breeding values. All the data we collect from the stud is sent to Merino Select to create these breeding values.
Two years ago, we started Glenmore Polls, with the aim of combining the big wool of our horned sheep with the carcass traits of the poll. Our horned and poll studs will complement each other well.
Winners of the Supreme Champion Fleece at the Wanaka Show in both 2020 and 2021.
