FOOTBRIDGE LODGE,
Chamberlain Road,
Bombay Hills,
Auckland 1850,
New Zealand.
PO Box 27,
Bombay,
Auckland 1730
Phone/Fax:
64-9-2360510
ABOUT FOOTBRIDGE
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FOOTBRIDGE LODGE, |
ABOUT FOOTBRIDGE
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In 1979 the late Robert Muldoon and William Birch
rolled out "Think Big" onto an unsuspecting public. Their high profile stance
distracted from the realisation that fundamental changes were needed in the
New Zealand economy.
The actions of Birch and Muldoon would eventually force many of our young
scientists offshore where they would prosper working on high value
technological projects in other countries.
There had to be an alternative for New Zealand and the Ford family.
Dr. Graeme Ford purchased 20 hectares of swampy, scrub-covered land in 1980
and development commenced of a tourist centre, which was to be complimented
by a centre of high technology projects involving the equine and mycological
sciences.
The scrub was cleared; roads, wetlands and a lake were created during the
early years, along with planting of several thousand trees. Infrastructure
buildings were erected and a small amount of income was generated by
horticulture.
The Chapel and Lodge were started in 1993 and the first wedding was held in
April 1996. Footbridge is now a well sought after venue for wedding couples
in New Zealand and overseas.
The Calla lily project started in 1995 and new growing techniques developed
along with prevention of disease which influences the production of this
species as a commercial flower crop.
Work was commenced on the Lily Ford Centre in 1998, although research and
development of a thoroughbred performance laboratory commenced in 1994.
Millennium Laboratories took over one of the pre- existing buildings in 2000
and work commenced on the isolation of entomopathogenic fungi (fungi that
kill specific insects) from the New Zealand environment.
Graeme and Ngaire Ford, Stephen and Lesley Ford with their children Jarod
and Makenzie live on the property. On any single day five scientists
associated with the various projects will be seen working in their
respective laboratories.
For fifteen of the first years of the Footbridge development Graeme Ford was
a single father who brought up his children and was a partner in one of
Auckland’s largest medical practices. The children all took part in the
development of Footbridge. Tony runs Footbridge Builders Ltd on the Gold
Coast. Vanessa is married, also living on the Gold Coast and has a young
family.
The name Footbridge was chosen because it was the name of a difficult
obstacle that Mark Todd and his thoroughbred horse, Southern Comfort, almost
came to grief on during the 1980 Badminton Horse Trials. It was because of
the courage Mark Todd and his horse showed that intense interest was first
sparked about the qualities of our NZ thoroughbred and their use in the
sport of Eventing.
Footnote.
No definitive study appears to be available as to whether there was a
positive economic benefit to New Zealand from Think Big or whether it simply
raised the country's debt levels. Undoubtedly economic activity was
sustained during the construction period but the basic justification for the
projects, a permanently higher oil price, did not eventuate.
The politicians were not interested in comparing net benefits with the far
more dispersed benefits, which accrue through leaving tax monies in the
hands of the private sector. Private enterprise R&D projects were left to
hang out to dry! They are now only starting to make some progress in a
world, which has passed us by.
In an interview, Birch’s analysis of the private sector benefits of Think
Big was encapsulated in the following.
“Where would Fletcher Challenge be today without Petrocorp, I hate to
think.”
He should know it was almost given to them, as were many of the other
projects that originated during the Think Big era. Most of our scientists
and entrepreneurs of that period are still overseas. Investment for research
and development almost dried up following Think Big and the brain drain
became an embarrassment to NZ. A lot of the people who benefited most from
Think Big eventually left our shores to become tax exiles!
