THE HISTORY OF THE MALVERN VETERINARY CLUB PRIOR TO BECOMING A CHARITABLE TRUST
The Veterinary Services Council was set up when an Act was passed by the New Zealand Government in 1946. The purpose of this Act was to advise and assist with animal health in the rural areas. The Veterinary Council dictated the terms regarding the payment and conditions around Vet staff employment. Veterinary Clinics were set up in the regions to give technical advice and assist with animal health, disease control and surgery.
Membership of these Clubs was by an Annual Subscription with an executive elected (or appointed) by the members. This meant that all members received their Vet Services at a discounted rate and were able to purchase any drugs needed for their stock at a discounted price. The Staff was paid by this membership fee and also by the “mark-up” on any products sold (drench and vaccines had excellent sales goods trade margins.) Veterinary Clubs were non- profit organisations and as they were run as an incorporated society, they did not pay tax (they had the same status as a charity.) Bad debts were a problem right from the outset and at each executive meeting these were listed. It was one of the least pleasant jobs for the executive to visit these “problem” farmers!
The first executive to be elected here in Darfield was in 1952, when Mr Harry Faulkner of Springfield became Chairman. Unfortunately no minutes of these earlier years have been located but below is the list of those employed at the Darfield Veterinary Clinic during these years.
| SECRETARY |
| Name |
| R.K. Jamieson |
| C.H Francis |
| EXECUTIVE | |||
| Elected | Retired | Name | |
| Jan 1952 | – | Nov 1953 | N.K. Calder |
| Jan 1952 | – | Dec 1960 | J.D. Gallagher |
| Jan 1952 | – | Jul 1967 | W.H.Faulkner |
| Jan 1952 | – | May 1970 | F.W.Jarman |
| Jan 1952 | – | Aug 1971 | J.B. Morris |
| Jan 1952 | – | Jul 1973 | A.D. Oliver |
| Jan 1952 | – | S.S. Deans | |
| Nov 1953 | – | Jul 1965 | G.J.Henderson |
| Dec 1959 | – | Aug 1971 | F.N. Buttle |
| Dec 1960 | – | Dec 1961 | D.H.Penney |
| Dec 1961 | – | Aug 1970 | A.L. Mulholland |
| Jul 1965 | – | E.J. Henderson | |
| Jul 1967 | – | L.R. Faulkner | |
| Jun 1970 | – | Aug 1971 | J. Gunn |
| Aug 1970 | – | J.E. Redfern | |
| Aug 1971 | – | W.G. Inch | |
| Aug 1971 | – | Aug 1976 | J.G. Loe |
| Jul 1973 | – | W.K Jenkins | |
| Aug 1976 | – | I. Reed | |
| VETERINARY SURGEONS | |||
| Appointed | Retired | Name | |
| Jan 1952 | – | Jul 1954 | A.J. Bruce |
| Sep 1954 | – | Feb 1955 | J.B. Forsyth |
| Feb 1955 | – | Aug 1961 | R.G. Cuming |
| Mar 1958 | – | Jan 1964 | D.J.M. Wood |
| Oct 1961 | – | Jan 1964 | B.J. McLeavy |
| Mar 1964 | – | Mar 1967 | G.D. Leeming |
| Jan 1964 | – | May 1969 | R.G. Clark |
| May 1967 | – | Apr 1969 | P.M. Dover |
| Apr 1967 | – | J.Hutton (Dept Ag) | |
| Jan 1968 | – | May 1972 | P.M.B. Whatman |
| Feb 1970 | – | Oct 1970 | J.R. Webster |
| Dec 1970 | – | Feb 1973 | C.W.McIwraith |
| Jun 1972 | – | Apr 1973 | D.Fraser |
| Nov 1972 | – | Jan 1974 | S. MacDiarmid |
| Feb 1973 | – | Apr 1973 | I.Harbit |
| Jun 1973 | – | Nov 1973 | A. Thomson |
| Jan 1974 | – | Feb 1976 | P.C. Hodgson |
| Aug 1973 | – | D.Postelnik | |
| Nov 1974 | – | Mar 1977 | G. van Reenen |
| Apr 1976 | – | A.Conway | |
| Apr 1977 | – | R.T. Blanks | |
| STAFF | |
| Appointed | Name |
| Miss H. Bedford | |
| Miss N.E. Wright | |
| Mar 1968 | Miss A. Jarman |
| Mar 1968 | Miss Middlewood |
| Miss M. Pearson | |
| Mar 1968 | Miss S. Scott |
| May 1969 | Miss J. Robertson |
| Jul 1967 | Mr B. Elstob |
| Mrs Webster | |
| Mrs Redfern | |
| Miss R. Wilder | |
| Miss L.R. Beatty | |
The 1950s was a boom time for New Zealand farmers. With the technical advice received from the Department of Agriculture and the Veterinary Clinics, farming began to prosper. Farmers had money in the bank to spend on lime and superphosphate which resulted in better pasture growth. Because of the intensification of stock during this period more diseases became apparent on the more progressive farms. The Vets most important job at this stage was to advise on the correct use of drugs. The diagnosis of flock and herd problems was not straight forward. A visit to the farms, post mortem examinations, consultation with the farmer and several follow up phone calls were often necessary before the correct course of action could be recommended. A safe worm drench could be wasted if given to hoggets with nutritional scours or salmonella infection. The veterinary services needed to continue advising on the breeding, rearing management and nutrition of flocks and herds, the execution of disease prevention schemes and regular examinations.
The only worm drench available at this time was Phenothiazine which, as well as not being very effective, caused real problems as it stained the fleece!
Graeme Loe recalls attending a meeting at Racecourse Hill where the appointed Vet at the time, Mr Gordon Cuming, demonstrated to the farmers the correct way to vaccinate their sheep. He did this by administering the injection down the centre of the back which, of course, we realise today, causes contamination of the carcass!
The following tables illustrate the number of some of the procedures carried out by the veterinary surgeons.
Visits to properties
| Horses | Cattle | Sheep | Pigs | Dogs | Misc. | TOTAL | |
| 1956-57 | 128 | 297 | 539 | 19 | 36 | 0 | 1019 |
| 1957-58 | 157 | 368 | 596 | 23 | 34 | 0 | 1178 |
| 1958-59 | 99 | 459 | 698 | 13 | 62 | 0 | 1331 |
| 1959-60 | 162 | 504 | 464 | 17 | 40 | 7 | 1194 |
| 1960-61 | 137 | 577 | 292 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1022 |
| 1961-62 | 144 | 599 | 274 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1029 |
| 1962-63 | 137 | 515 | 233 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 904 |
TB testing was largely responsible for the increase in cattle visits. The Malvern Veterinary Club was included in the TB eradication area.
Attendances at Surgery
| Horses | Calves | Sheep | Pigs | Dogs | Cats | Misc. | TOTAL | |
| 1956-57 | 0 | 5 | 186 | 11 | 124 | 54 | 7 | 387 |
| 1957-58 | 0 | 9 | 217 | 10 | 126 | 68 | 4 | 434 |
| 1958-59 | 0 | 11 | 263 | 0 | 192 | 82 | 10 | 558 |
| 1959-60 | 0 | 13 | 304 | 7 | 239 | 117 | 9 | 689 |
| 1960-61 | 4 | 3 | 251 | 8 | 211 | 124 | 6 | 607 |
| 1961-62 | 4 | 8 | 271 | 11 | 237 | 154 | 15 | 700 |
| 1962-63 | 9 | 8 | 313 | 13 | 380 | 229 | 15 | 967 |
| 1963-64 | 5 | 11 | 299 | 14 | 384 | 219 | 10 | 942 |
The new surgery block enabled more work to be done at the surgery.
Ram Examination
| No. of Rams Examined | No. of Rams Vaccinated | |
| 1959-60 | 4,353 | 576 |
| 1960-61 | 3,600 | 451 |
| 1961-62 | 4,275 | 495 |
| 1962-63 | 4,159 | 274 |
| 1963-64 | 3,987 | 266 |
A new method of vaccination was in place, where two doses of Br.Ovis were given at 8-24 week intervals. This eliminated the live strain vaccine and its associated hazards. The vets were beginning to introduce an improved method of ram examination and facilities for fertility testing.
Cattle Vaccinated for Contagious Abortion
| Number of Cattle | |
| 1959-60 | 512 |
| 1960-61 | 700 |
| 1961-62 | 563 |
| 1962-63 | 474 |
| 1963-64 | 575 |
Contagious abortion in unvaccinated beef and dairy herds was causing severe economic loss. This disease could be transmitted to man, usually in the form of undulant fever and other conditions, caused by the Brucella organism. It was found that the ideal time for vaccinating heifers was between the ages of 4-8 months.
Ewes vaccinated
| No. of Ewes | Total Vaccine Sold for Ewe & Lamb Doses | |
| 1959-60 | 33,915 | 180,825 |
| 1960-61 | 21,060 | 197,425 |
| 1961-62 | 28,590 | 204,895 |
| 1962-63 | 35,308 | 270,610 |
| 1963-64 | 24,177 | 262,675 |
The vets were recommending that farmers purchase their vaccine from the Vet Club therefore improving the club finances by passing on the profit. Farmers also benefitted by receiving advice on the correct product purchased. Accuracy of dose was essential and checking of vaccinating guns was encouraged.
Dogs Vaccinated Against Distemper
| No. of Dogs | |
| 1959-60 | 145 |
| 1960-61 | 49 |
| 1961-62 | 63 |
| 1962-63 | 164 |
| 1963-64 | 114 |
The council set up dosing strips where all dogs were taken to be dosed against hydatids. With so many dogs in close contact there was an increased risk of a distemper outbreak so farmers were encouraged to have their dogs inoculated at least 14 days prior to going to the dosing strip in case any dog with distemper was present.
Hydatids was a real worry amongst the rural community as dogs could spread the parasite, not only to sheep, but humans as well. Extensive public education campaigns were held to make everyone aware of this parasite and how it spread. The farmers were instructed that dead sheep were to be disposed of immediately and no longer left to rot under trees and in water ways. Offal pits were dug or carcasses burnt and it became illegal to feed dogs with raw offal. All dogs were dosed at 6 weekly intervals at their local dosing strip and by 1992 New Zealand was virtually free of the disease. The successful eradication of this nasty parasite was thanks to 45 years of hard work.
Malvern is a selenium deficient area and trials were carried out on some properties to see if the administration of this mineral was important for animals. Muscular trouble, heart diseases, arthritis, and infertility were diagnosed as selenium controllable conditions.
In the spring of 1961 there were more cases of white muscle in young lambs. The Veterinary Surgeons at that time advised that this disease could be prevented in new born lambs by dosing ewes prior to lambing with Selenium, or, if the disease occurred after docking, it could be prevented by dosing at docking time. Ewe infertility and hogget ill thrift, where they were associated with a history of white muscle, also responded to Selenium. Ewes were lost in relatively high numbers in the spring from pregnancy toxaemia and milk fever. Losses from blood poisoning were noticed in unvaccinated flocks, as well as pulpy kidney in lambs. These losses were high enough for Mr R.H. Salisbury, Chief Diagnostic Officer at Wallaceville, to come down for 1 ½ days, during which time he was taken to many affected properties and also carried out numerous post mortem examinations at the surgery. Deaths were due to unusually high worm burdens and for the most part were associated with an earlier white muscle problem in the lambs. Control of worms by drench and selenium were recommended.
It was reported in 1972 that there was a large number of abortions in cattle and pigs. Ryegrass staggers was common in sheep and cattle, and some horses were seen with this condition as well. There were also outbreaks of clostridial infections causing sudden deaths in sheep which had been grazing on turnips. This could be prevented by immediate vaccination with Triple or Quad vaccine. On one property 14 cattle died following grazing on “Sun Spurge” Euphorbia helioscopia, not previously recorded as poisoning animals in New Zealand.
The Veterinary services needed to continue advising on the breeding, rearing, management and nutrition of flock and herds, the execution of disease prevention schemes and regular examinations together with maintenance of emergency clinical services.
Once the farmers started using more vaccines to eradicate diseases, the need for the Vet’s services on their farms, began to decline. However, about this time, the demand for advice on the health of pets and small domestic animals, became a much larger part of their business.
The first house purchased by the Malvern Veterinary Club was at 3 Bray Street. A small shed was built on the front of this section which served as the surgery. In those years the Vets kept most of their drugs in their cars.
In May 1963 a new house was built at No 7 Greendale Road for £4,155. A State Advances loan of £2,500 was taken out at 5% interest, to be paid back over 25 years. The Bray Street property was put up for tender to help finance this new building, and was eventually sold in May, 1964, for £2,300. Two years later, in May 1966, a new surgery was built at No 9 Greendale Road. Once the executive had accepted the tender for £2,540 the builders then started work within 2 weeks. Another house was built on the neighbouring section at 10 McLaughlins Road shortly after this.
Some of the surrounding sheds were built by voluntary labour so only the materials had to be paid for. The Executive held many working bees to tidy around the grounds of the houses, sheds and surgeries. All these new buildings were financed by the farmers who paid a building levy with their annual subscriptions. There was often one married Vet plus two single men employed in the Malvern area, with one senior staff member in charge of the practise. The first Vets came to the area with overseas training. However, in 1963, Massey University started training Vets here in New Zealand. The Vets usually worked in the area for 2 to 3 years before moving on to further their careers, either in larger clinics or by travelling overseas.
Helen Williams (nee Bedford) was the first assistant employed to work at the new offices on Greendale Road and she has many stories to tell of her time there. She recalls the numerous people who phoned, especially at a quarter to five on a Friday evening with, “my cow has been straining all day can you come and help please!” Her work at the clinic involved answering the phone (and later the radio telephone which was purchased so the Vet could keep in touch with the surgery and be notified if there were any urgent “call outs”), greeting clients, cleaning the buildings, helping with operations, and doing any preliminary work on the accounts. These were then sent into Francis, Crosbie and Mason, the accountancy firm in Christchurch, who were responsible for dealing with the finances of the Club. When Helen resigned from her position on the staff she was presented with a silver tea service in recognition of her years of dedicated service to the Vet Club.
In 1970, a house on McIlraith Street was bought at auction for $11,000. A State Advances loan of $7,300 was taken out to help finance this building. All the buildings owned by the Malvern Veterinary Club were valued for Insurance purposes in 1975. These were listed as follows –
Greendale Rd $28,000
McLaughlins Rd $27,800
McIlraith Street $25,000
Clinic $20,000
Store $11,400
Stable $ 4,200
The minutes in April 1966, highlight the friction that was starting to occur between the Vets and the Department of Agriculture Farm Advisors (which was a free service). The farmers were beginning to employ Farm Advisors to help with the productivity of their land and they were coming in conflict with the Veterinary Surgeons who were keen for more business. The Vets wanted to be involved with the diagnosis of the deficiency of selenium in the area which, of course, helped with the finances of the Vet Club. In June 1967, Basil Elstob was employed by the Vet Club at 10 shillings per hour, to travel round visiting the farmers and assisting with the vaccination of their stock. At the same time he was expected to promote and sell their products. To help cover his expenses he was paid travelling costs of 9 pence per mile.
It was during these years that the executive kept changing the discount that members received for the Vets’ services and for the purchase of any drugs. This could sometimes be 5% and was later increased to 10% and sometimes even more.
Lorraine Ridgen (nee Beatty) was appointed as veterinary nurse in 1972 and held that position until 1980. She started working at the Vet Club during her school holidays and loved the job so much that when a vacancy became available 5 months later she immediately applied for it and was offered the position. In those days vet nurses learnt on the job. One of the stories that Lorraine recalled was, “There was a tiny Scottish vet working at the clinic while holidaying in New Zealand. She was called out to a calving problem and was wearing a ring which had a lot of sentimental value. When she arrived back at the clinic she realised this ring was no longer on her finger. This resulted in a trip back to the farm to look at the placenta and around the calving site but to my knowledge it was never found!” She also recalled a particular day during the skiing season when 2 of the 3 vets employed at the clinic at that time, decided they would have a day up at the ski field. The third vet soon realised that he should never have agreed to let them have the day off because as soon as they had left, “all hell broke loose.” There were so many emergency calls for cows with calving difficulties from the Rakaia Gorge, to Whitecliffs, over to Oxford and back to Hororata! Lorraine thoroughly enjoyed those years working at the vet clinic. She especially enjoyed the variety of work which involved, caring for the animals, writing out invoices, ordering stock and she was even known to repair some drenching and vaccinating guns! Lorraine was there to help organise the 25th Jubilee in November 1977.
Mr Lindsay Faulkner was Chairman at this time and at the May executive meeting he moved that a subcommittee be set up to organise this celebration. By September, 70 replies had been received, however, only half that number of guests can be seen in the photos. These photos are still in the Vet Clubs records. The guests included Mr and Mrs C. O. Redfern who was Chairman of the Malvern County Council at that time. During the afternoon of the celebrations those who attended inspected the Greendale Road Vet Club facilities before congregating at the Darfield Hotel for speeches, photos and a buffet meal. Entertainment was provided by John Hore (Grennell) of Whitecliffs. The celebration was very successful. Special mention was made in the minutes thanking Lorraine Beatty for helping arrange the function and for dealing with all the finances, and also to John Hore for providing the entertainment.
It was agreed that a Veterinary Clinic would be set up in the Oxford area to service the farmers across the Waimakariri River and in 1977 the two vets, D. Postelnik and A. Conway, reported that they had opened the Oxford Depot at the Oxford Transport. Two years later, in 1978, a new surgery was built on Graeme Dalley’s property at “Ribblesdale” which is approximately 1 km north of the Oxford township. Mike Brown was appointed as the first Vet and Graeme’s wife, Marion, worked in the office and assisted with operations at the clinic. Several years later the Vet Club was shifted to the old Salvation Army Hall, which is located behind Emma’s Gift Shop on the Main Street. When Hamish Reid became the Vet in 1992 he began his practise in this building, and in 1996 he shifted to the new Vet Club which was built on the corner of Main and High Street. Hamish has enjoyed his time serving the Oxford district and still remains Veterinary Surgeon for this area.
In 1982, the residing Vet, Mr Pearson, reported that the New Zealand Veterinary Association was becoming concerned that farmers were velveting their own deer – they considered that this work should only be carried out by the Veterinary surgeons. Around this time new remedies were becoming available to make life easier for the farmers. Injectable cattle wormers were introduced plus a vaccine which guarded against hogget pneumonia. There were also selenium prills available which could be added to the fertiliser when being applied to pasture. By now, John McLean had been appointed as storeman and was in charge of the sales. He was also very competent at repairing equipment such as drenching and vaccinating guns.
Ian Reed was elected as the new Chairman in 1983 and during this year he reported a drop in the net profit from $23,000 to $1,342. This was mainly due to external influences such as inflation and price freezes. Concern was expressed that the mark up on drenches and by-products was reduced from 35% to 20% which also impacted on any profit made. It was during this year that the Accountant, Mr C.H. Frances, retired, and Mr B.R. Mason was elected to take over this task. Thankfully, the following year a profit of $24,400 was made in spite of uncertainty in the farming climate.
During 1985, Mike Whatman was appointed Veterinary Surgeon. Much of his time was now being devoted to the embryo transplants which were being performed on goats and deer. Mike employed Julie Wagner, and sometimes Julie Layton and Denis Eason, to assist with this work which took place in his own woolshed on Kimberley Road. Although Mike set up his own private practice at a later date, he was also employed by the Malvern Veterinary Club on a part time basis. When Mike did eventually resign to devote more time to his own business, Julie Wagner was appointed as head Veterinary Surgeon. One of the Vet Club’s clients recalls that Mike Whatman’s Labrador dog was frequently used as a blood donor to save the life of numerous cats and dogs in the district.
In 1986 Roy Smith became storeman. Roy started in the rural sector with PGG before changing occupations when he became Store Manager with the Malvern Veterinary Club. As well as being the “fixit man”, Roy’s job involved serving clients, placing orders (which were sent through to the Christchurch wholesaler), measuring out drugs etc. There were no computers at this time so all orders and accounts were written out manually. All purchases were recorded and these had to be approved for payment at the executive meeting every month. During the years that Roy worked at the Greendale Road surgery there were some burglaries. Obviously these were committed by thieves looking for drugs for their own personal use. One man, in his haste to escape, shot over the road and landed in the water race! Roy really enjoyed those years working at the Malvern Veterinary Club. The friendly, family atmosphere was so much more personal and relaxed, compared to a larger cooperative organisation.
Because of the declining prices for sheep and cattle, stock numbers in the district had reduced considerably which meant that the Vets’ workload was mainly concentrating now on deer, goats, and small domestic animals. During these years the MAF Livestock Officers were permitted to carry out commercial work. Julie Wagner attended a meeting with MAF and strongly opposed this development. Julie was the first woman vet to be employed in the Malvern region. She realised very quickly that she needed to fit into a man’s world and therefore felt it was very important to cope with all the problems that came her way. This often involved quite dangerous tasks especially when dealing with “flighty” unpredictable deer. In the earlier years of Julie’s tenure as head veterinary surgeon of the Malvern area, mainly mixed farming was carried out, but over the years she noticed quite a change to more intensive farming. However, by the time Julie had retired, many farms were being converted to dairying.
Canterbury experienced a severe drought in 1989 and due to a very mild winter, internal parasites and foot rot became rampant. Due to this drought, farmers had to de-stock and very soon they stopped spending. Gavin King was elected Chairman this year and he presented a Business Plan to the executive outlining the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats for discussion at their next executive meeting.
Because of the intense competition from the stock firms, many main line drug prices were having to be sold 50% less than 7 to 8 years previously. This meant that the Vet Club made a loss of $29,600 in 1989, and a loss of $11,300 the following year.
The Vet surgeon’s workload was now changing more to TB testing in deer and any health problems with goats, horses and smaller domestic animals. Nitrate kits were being sold to control the severe outbreak of nitrate poisoning which was causing concern. The Vet Club was now permitted to supply drugs to farmers to use when velveting their stags as long as these were being used under supervision.
In 1991, Mr S Deans and Mr A Oliver, the only two surviving members of the original Malvern Vet Club executive, were made Life Members. The following year Mr L Faulkner also received this honour. This same year many changes took place: Ann Cameron resigned from her position as Office Assistant after having held this for 25 years, Paul McHugh resigned as Veterinary surgeon, Stuart Lill was elected as Chairman of the executive, and Roy Smith was appointed as Practice Manager. The McIlraith Street property was also sold this year for $72,000.
The big snow in 1992 had a significant impact on the Canterbury plains causing a drop in sheep numbers of 28% and a slightly smaller decline in cattle numbers. However, even with all these adversities the Vet Club still managed to show the following profit over the next few years:
1994 $32,500
1995 $42,000
1996 $14,900
A Vet link computer system was set up in 1994 when Mark Mulholland was elected as Chairman and during the following year Rob Lawrence was appointed as the new Practice Manager (one of the first non-vet practice managers in NZ). Rob submitted the following account of his time in this role. –
Story 1: “As a new practice manager the learning curve was steep, attending my first NZVA conference in Hamilton I was challenged by Andy Postal from Springs Ellesmere Vet Club: “You are the only non- vet here…why are you here?” Gulp…so to a room full of vets my answer was, “It is my job to make my vet’s job easier.” We became good colleagues but I never forgot that I was not a vet.”
Starting in August 1995 the period to 2001-2002, Rob oversaw a significant transition change for the MFVC. Some of these changes included; Vet link then later Vet Manager computer systems, EPOS, Vet equipment, Staff and safety policies provided focus and change, logoed vet trucks, FBT and compliance requirements just added to the fun.
The practice was one of the longest servicing Vet Clubs when many others had been transitioned into the contract model. Malvern Farmer’s Vet Club during this period was characterised as small animals practice with significant large animal services and health product/sales in a very competitive market.
Story 2: “Due to my US accent I could not hide when checking on local competitive drench prices. It was just simpler to ask outright; “Hamish (at PGG) what is your IVOMEC going for?” There were up to eight competing agencies chasing farmers the Non-vet animal health care market. I always enjoyed my negotiations with Joe Catherwood over Footvax. Then there was the weather”…..
The El Nino conditions that gripped the district in the late 1990’s had a tremendous effect on the community and the Club’s financial performance. The1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons saw the worse ever financial results in MVFC history. For these years the trading results were negative $125,000 and $119,000 respectfully. The drought conditions impacted many across Canterbury and the South Island (Reminder that the availability of irrigation was just getting traction. The dream of Graham Ritso to bring water to the Canterbury Plains was some years away). Drought conditions create impacts that are not easily overcome. Destocking has a lingering result for both the farmer and the supporting practice. Times were tough.
Tough times require some tough actions in order to turn results around for the Club. Prior to the onset of the drought the Club had been developing strategies for the new facilities in Oxford and Darfield, upgrading computer systems, point of sale systems, documentation of policies as well as expanding veterinary treatment equipment. The new Labour government “adjusted” employment legislation and additional compliance requirements for OSH/H&S became new factors for business.
Story 3: “After attending a comprehensive training course on the ERA which was held in Christchurch over some weeks, the new legislation following the Labour government election rendered all that work void due to the new laws. I recall calculating time costs, travel, parking, meals, course materials etc. and sending a bill to Helen Clark for $10,000 for loss of productive time and expenses…. I got 3 ministerial letters in reply but not a penny of compensation. Government still does not appreciate the impacts that changes can have on business.”
1998 was an extremely difficult year for the farming population. The drought postponed the development of the proposed Darfield Clinic. Terrific effort and support from Mark and Colin, the board and staff as well as product savings, rationalisation, expanded vet fees, new clinic times and services with improved stock control all contributed to improving the financial result. Thankfully with that effort and the timely easing of the drought conditions in 2000-2003 an improved financial result was achieved, the best result in 14 years.
It was a real privilege to serve the Malvern Farmer’s Vet Club community as Practise Manager working with the local community and farmers, taught me to appreciate the strength, resilience and creativity of rural Kiwi folks. The staff were some of the finest people anyone could have the opportunity to work with.”
The members of the executive were starting to look for a suitable property on the Main Street of Darfield to build a new Vet Clinic, and in 1997 there was a Press release stating that the Malvern Veterinary Cub had purchased the Wrightson’s site, South Terrace, Darfield. This year saw several changes on the executive. W. James, G. King, and G. Richards were no longer seeking re election so 5 new members were appointed. The executive now consisted of Mark Mulholland, Colin Guild, Ian Reed, Stuart Lill, and Hugh Taylor.
In 2000 Mark Mulholland resigned and Colin Guild became Chairman. Stuart Lill was appointed as minute secretary. The executive now consisted of Ian Reed, Hugh Taylor, and Andrew Mehrtens. P.S.Alexander & Associates were appointed as the new chartered accountants. Their first job was to do a complete in depth analysis of the Club’s finances and these were presented at the Annual meeting. Because of a more productive farming year, sales had begun to improve slightly and this year the financial accounts showed a profit of $48,000.
Colin Guild’s Chairman’s report which he presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting outlines the analysis and deliberation which took place, in conjunction with the Lawyer and Accountants, to arrive at the decision to sell the Malvern Vet club practice.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT – 2002
Without doubt this last year has been the most strategically important, some might say tumultuous, in the 51 year history of the Club. It would seem this year’s financial result has vindicated the decision to sell the practice portion of the business.
The decision to sell the practice as stated at the time, was not taken lightly. It was the result of a three year process of careful deliberation and analysis. As all options were explored, it repeatedly came up as the best one to ensure the survival of a veterinary practice and in the best long term interests of members and staff.
A Special General Meeting was called to discuss and approve the proposal on 7 March 2002, with some 52 members attending. With hindsight it would appear the Directors should perhaps have presented more hard data but we were conscious of providing several pages of figures to go straight into the rubbish bin. It soon became apparent at the meeting that most members had not appreciated the serious position of the Club and had not picked up on the references to future restructuring in previous Annual Reports. Instead they saw their Vet Club being sold.
However, as intended, the meeting did provide an opportunity for all present to air their views and for the Directors to explain the contract practice proposal with assistance of our accountant, Pita Alexander. At the conclusion of the meeting, the process was understood and accepted, with two members voting against.
The Vet Club was clearly suffering unsustainable losses in its old format. The competitive trading environment, uncertainties of primary product prices and climate and a heavy wage structure was taking a toll. Whether we agree with it or not, the Executive considered the efficiencies to be gained were best achieved under an owner/operator structure.
The welfare of staff was a most important consideration in the restructuring. All staff other than Practice Manager Rob Lawrence, were offered positions in the two businesses created. Our veterinarian of long standing, Julie Wagner, chose to seek other employment and her contribution to the Club, and that of Rob, should be acknowledged. Beyond that, the same familiar faces are behind the counter.
I will leave most financial comments to the more expert opinion of our accountants, but wish to highlight three points:
- The trading loss of $59,270 does not include restructuring costs and is unacceptably high.
- The accounts are for a 14 month period due to the business being taken over on 1 June 2001
- This was probably the best year of produce prices many of us have seen in the farming sector.
The costs to restructure the business, as can be seen in the accounts, are by necessity on the high side. Professional advice does not come cheap and there was an enormous amount of work involved, some of which was caused by a delay in settlement. However the support and advice of our accountants, Pita and Paul Alexander, and our lawyer, Gerard Thwaites and Lane Neave, must be acknowledged. They were at all times supportive and encouraging throughout a long and difficult process.
The Malvern Farmer’s Veterinary Club was established in 1952 with a view to providing a veterinary service for the district. It is appropriate to reflect on where we are at now.
We are effectively a landlord, leasing two premises to veterinary businesses. We have funds in the bank sufficient to build a new clinic and a steady flow of income from rentals. The Oxford business is operated by Hamish Reid with two vets in a modern, functional building. The Darfield business is operated by Simon Hewitt with two vets in an older building due for replacement. The club itself will have very minor annual running costs.
The Directors intend to have a very close working relationship with Simon and Hamish into the future. In district businesses of this kind, the welfare of all parties is important. It would seem to the Directors thus far that both are functioning well and nothing much has changed.
Preliminary planning is under way for a new clinic on the land we own on South Terrace, Darfield, to take the Darfield business forward in a modern, purpose built premises.
Finally, my appreciation to the staff, both past and present, throughout a most unsettling year, and to my fellow Directors and our advisers, for their support and loyalty. As time goes on, I am absolutely convinced it will become apparent to all that we made the correct move.
C.D.H. GUILD
CHAIRMAN
In 2003 the chairman, Colin Guild, reported an operating surplus of $37,457. The architectural designer, Trevor Wall, had completed the plans for the new clinic which was to be built on 44 South Terrace, Darfield, and these had been forwarded to the Council for building consent. Tenders were to be called once consent had been granted. The membership fees were to remain the same and advantages were to be outlined in the next newsletter to the farmers.
The following year another surplus was recorded, this time for $47,400. The modern, purpose built clinic was constructed by Russell Chalmers, and the Greendale Road property was sold at public auction on 31st March 2004, for $165,000 plus GST. Bridging finance between these two operations was necessary and this required a valuation (requested by Westpac Bank) of all the Club’s building assets. The new building was officially opened on 22nd July, 2004, by the Mayor, Michael McEvedy, with an excellent attendance of 200 members, partners, and associates. Simon Hewitt, trading as Darfield Vet Centre, was the tenant.
By 2005 the clinic was debt free and the Club was landlord to both Oxford and Darfield Clinics as well as the Wrightsons building in Darfield. The land and building valuation was now $954,000. Due to the merger of Wrightsons and PGG , the Wrightsons building was now vacant. The executive continued their discussions about leasing the Wrightsons section on the Main Street, at 48 South Terrace, and in 2006 Trevor Wall drew up plans for these proposed alterations. The following year Unit 2 was leased out to Val Briggs Interiors. A lot of time and effort went into converting this former Wrightsons building, and by 2007 it had been changed into three modern retail units at a substantial cost.
Hamish Reid, trading as Vetalba Ltd, was the tenant at the Oxford Clinic, and in 2008, Vet Life proposed taking over the lease and employing Hamish as their Vet. This took place the following year and in 2010 the Club entered into an agreement to buy the adjoining section on Main Street, Oxford, to assist with further expansion. A loan of $100,000 was required for this purchase. Andrew Mehrtens, the executive director, handled the application of consents for this subdivision and land use, and this was all completed by 2011. During this year the Malvern Veterinary Club agreed to give $450 annually to sponsor a Darfield High School Rural College student.
The earthquake in September 2010, caused some internal structural damage as well as damage to some of the contents, but the buildings were well insured, although there were some ongoing issues over the following years. It was decided that the Oxford Clinic would be offered for sale when the new clinic was completed. Plans were drawn up and the construction of this building was started in 2013. The opening was held the following year and the original Oxford Clinic was sold.
This same year, Vet Ent, Darfield decided to expand their Clinic so they could accommodate 6 Vets. In 2014 these alterations took place. All these buildings were built by Russell Chalmers and designed by Trevor Wall. The business was able to remain open throughout the many months of alterations.
In 2015 Martin Skurr and Simon Wright were elected onto the executive. It was decided that there were to be no further building expansions in the near future. The Bank debt had now been reduced to a million dollars which was to be paid off as soon as possible.
For some time the Executive had been considering the future of the Malvern Farmers’ Veterinary Club. By 2017, assets were approximately $4,000,000, debt was at $620,000 (and steadily reducing) and nett profit was $159,000. The Club still retained its Incorporated Society tax free status, had totally outdated Club rules, and had an inaccurate membership list due to retirements and the rapid growth of dairy farming. Legally the Club could not wind up and distribute the assets.
These issues were outlined to members in a letter from Colin Guild on 28th November 2017, inviting them to a Special General Meeting to discuss the proposal to form a Charitable Trust. The Trust Deed proposed wide discretion within the district to distribute funds based on family, social, education and voluntary organisations. With the original objective of providing a Veterinary Service to the district well and truly met, it was proposed that surplus funds be distributed for the benefit of the rural community.
Two Special General Meetings were held. There was good discussions and 100% acceptance of the proposal.
On 31st July 2018, the assets of the M.F.V.C. were finally transferred to the Malvern Farmers’ Veterinary Club Charitable Trust.