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Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

F. E. Humphreys and the First Polled Herefords in New Zealand

A Gisborne breeder who brought polled Herefords to New Zealand from the United States.

Who was F. E. Humphreys?

F. E. Humphreys was a Hereford breeder known for one important import. The New Zealand Hereford Association history page credits him with bringing the first polled Hereford into New Zealand: the bull Royal Gem, imported from the United States in 1929.

Few personal details survive in the sources checked. A 1939 Gisborne Herald report mentions him without stating where he farmed, so the Gisborne connection here comes from the newspaper that printed the report. Because the record is thin, this profile also gives context on Hereford history in New Zealand.

What is a polled Hereford?

A polled Hereford is a Hereford without horns. Horned and polled animals belong to the same breed, and the association's own history says its Council agreed in 1929 or 1930 to register polled Herefords in the Herd Book, starting with Volume 33. Horned and polled herds were kept in separate sections of one volume.

Humphreys' imports arrived just as that decision was made, which shows why his timing mattered.

Which cattle did Humphreys import?

Royal Gem came in 1929 and the cow Dora Willdale followed in 1930, both from the USA. The Hereford Association credits Humphreys and G. F. Moore of Bushy Park with the courage and enterprise to bring polled cattle into the country and says much credit is due to Mr. Humphreys.

Imports had been limited earlier. The association notes an embargo on cattle imports from England between 1922 and 1947 because of foot and mouth disease, which makes the choice of American sources more understandable.

The Key to Humphreys' Success

The sources show an importer who looked for a new genetic trait and then proved it in the show ring. They do not reveal finances or private motives, so the lessons below stay with what is documented.

At the 1939 Manawatu Show, his Hereford bull Bosun Gem took first in the yearling class.

  • He imported a bull and a cow of a variety new to New Zealand.
  • He worked alongside another breeder, G. F. Moore, to bring polled stock in.
  • He timed imports to the Herd Book decision to register polled Herefords.
  • He showed his cattle at national events such as the Manawatu Show.
  • Bosun Gem won the Hereford Breeders' Cup, open to all bulls of the breed, in 1939.

Hereford history in New Zealand

The first pedigree Herefords arrived by sailing ship in 1869, brought by R. and E. McLean of Bleak House, Howick. James Holms founded the Waimahaka Stud in 1877, the first pedigree herd in the South, and the New Zealand Hereford Association formed in 1896. The first National Show and Sale took place in 1960.

The Association says Humphreys was honored by the Hall of Fame in the USA in 1976. The hall is not named in the page, so that honor is reported rather than independently confirmed.

Read more

For more breed pioneer stories, see the ranching pages at farm.FM, including a farm.FM story about Hereford cattle. A scan of the 1939 Gisborne Herald show report is available through Papers Past.

Timeline

  1. 1869First pedigree Herefords arrive in New Zealand by sailing ship
  2. 1896New Zealand Hereford Association is formed
  3. 1929Humphreys imports Royal Gem, the first polled Hereford in New Zealand
  4. 1930Humphreys imports the cow Dora Willdale
  5. 1939Bosun Gem wins the yearling bull class and the Hereford Breeders' Cup at the Manawatu Show
  6. 1976Reportedly honored by a Hall of Fame in the USA

Frequently asked questions

Who was F. E. Humphreys?

F. E. Humphreys was a Hereford breeder credited with importing the first polled Hereford into New Zealand, the bull Royal Gem, from the United States in 1929. A 1939 newspaper report places him in Gisborne.

What was the first polled Hereford in New Zealand?

Royal Gem, a bull imported from the USA in 1929 by F. E. Humphreys, was the first polled Hereford to come to New Zealand, according to the New Zealand Hereford Association.

What is Dora Willdale?

Dora Willdale was a polled Hereford cow that F. E. Humphreys imported from the USA in 1930, a year after the bull Royal Gem.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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