Our History

The story of Woodland Hills is one of regeneration, vision and a lifelong passion for trees.

Centuries ago, these hills were covered in native broadleaf forest, with magnificent tōtara and kahikatea thriving in the valleys. Much of this forest was lost following widespread fires during the 15th and 16th centuries, and while nature slowly began to recover, European settlement in the 1850s transformed the landscape once again. By the early 1900s, the hills were largely treeless, with only scattered patches of mānuka and cabbage trees remaining.

Woodland Hills was originally part of the historic Tamumu Station. In 1949, following the Second World War, part of the station was divided into farms for returned servicemen. Eight families settled in the Hautope district, including the family of Woodland Hills founder, Ewan.

The first trees planted in the 1950s were practical shelter belts of radiata pine and macrocarpa, together with ornamental trees and Lombardy poplars to help stabilise the land after the devastating 1953 floods.

A lifelong passion for trees began to take shape when Ewan returned home from boarding school in 1963 and expanded the family’s tree planting. During the 1970s, the vision grew beyond shelter and conservation to creating a beautiful landscape for future generations.

A study tour of North America and Europe in 1994 inspired an even more ambitious planting programme. Since then, thousands of trees from New Zealand and around the world have been established, transforming former farmland into the woodland sanctuary visitors enjoy today.

Woodland Hills continues to evolve, with every new planting adding to a legacy of conservation, beauty and a deep appreciation for nature. It is a place where history, landscape and future generations are connected through trees.