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Story: Wine

Buck House, Te Mata Estate

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Buck House, Te Mata Estate

Buck House, a private family home on the Te Mata Estate vineyard in Hawke’s Bay, was designed by Ian Athfield in 1980. Te Mata is one of the oldest wineries in New Zealand. The vineyards were planted in 1892 by wealthy landowner Bernard Chambers, and flourished in the first decades of the 20th century. By 1974 the vineyard was in a run-down state. It was then bought by wine judges John Buck and Michael Morris, who nursed the old vines back to good health and planted new ones. Since 1980 Te Mata has produced some of the best red wines in the country.

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Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira

Reference: RMS/NZA192r/664

by Robin Morrison

Courtesy of the Estate of Robin Morrison

Permission of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Bronwyn Dalley, Wine – Industry expansion, 1890s–1910s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/18340/buck-house-te-mata-estate (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Bronwyn Dalley, published 1 March 2009.