Welcome to Hallmark Angus
We are Max, Lucy and Macca Tweedie. Based in the Tutira district of Northern Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. We’re all about the maternal Angus cow and are passionate in our pursuit of improving her.
We have a deep love of livestock, horses (one side of the partnership in particular) and farming our North Island hill country. Family is at the heart of what we do and we’re firm believers in always acting with integrity.
We are flat out growing our business and young family – on the back of the Angus cow. We believe in good cattle suited for their environment and can only do this with our top crew and a laser focussed discipline on what our customers need.
We’re bloody proud of our crew.
Kokopuru Station Team, 2025, Mathew Harvey (Ops Manager), Stephanie Rees (Senior Shepherd), Max Tweedie (Farm Manager), Caleb Everson (General).
The Home of Hallmark, Kokoporu Station
The stud is run at Kokopuru Station, Tutira. Totalling over 1400 ha of medium to steep pumice hill country, with some cultivatable land for fodder crops. It is an excellent property for wintering cattle and for the running of cows and calves – due to the light soils and the balance of hill country, with plenty of sheep run underneath. It has an impressive spine running through its centre, rising to 600m ASL. Cattle are required to clean and present this class of country as NZ commercial cows do – to present feed for ewes.
Hallmark Angus Origin Story.
The Cricklewood herd was established in 1935 by Humphry Bayly at Cricklewood Station, Wairoa. Primarily to breed bulls for the family stations. Humphry was a passionate cattleman and had many successes through bull sales and the show ring. Although he bred bulls for the family properties he was very much focussed on ‘stud’ bull sales.On why he chose Angus cattle, the story goes;
“A test was created. A mob of 100 cows formed. 1/3 Shorthorn, 1/3 Horned Hereford and 1/3 Angus cows. Weaned of their calves and tipped into a steep hill paddock – the entire face of which could be seen from the foot of the hill by the gate. The cows wintered there until calving. By early August it was very clear that ‘certain colours’ appeared to be coping better than others. By the gate sat the white and roan cows, thin and bellowing. In the middle of the hill and in the creeks lay a very clear band of dark red cows. At the top of the hill and in the steepest reaches of the paddock was a clear band of (fat) black beasts”.
The Waiterenui herd was established in 1914 and enjoyed considerable success over this period and in whatever field was pertinent at the time. For Willy, success came in the all-important showring. For John MacFarlane it was in ‘stud’ bull sales. Whereas success for Will hinged around commercial demand and population genetics. Dominant female families have been key to this success, and the ability of Waiterenui bulls to upgrade cows they are bred to – a legacy spanning three generations of MacFarlane studmasters.
John MacFarlane and Humphry Bayly were infact great mates and both contributed to the New Zealand Angus Association Council. They travelled together to Scotland to bring live bulls and heifers home in the 1950s and 60s. This was at the height of Scotland’s fame as the ‘stud farm for the world’ where the belt buckle (height) cattle dominated - as was the trend of the day. They were known to bring back all sorts of trophies – not necessarily limited to cattle. It is believed many cases of Glenfarclas 12 Year Whisky found their way home on ship with the bulls bound for Napier.
Imported bulls of note were Empire of Incheoch and Black Wizard. Black Wizard of Cricklewood was bred and went on to win the Governor Generals Prize for numerous Meat & Wool Cup wins on the East Coast. Humphry competed in the Dannevirke Yearling sales – the preferred selling method of the day. Alongside such greats as the legendary Donald Grant of Mangatoro. These were of course the days of Jersey nurse cows and hand feeding sale bulls sugar beet with pitch forks. A time where tallow had a significant value.
John Bayly (the current Hallmark studmasters’ grandfather) set to modernise the herd in the 1970s and onwards through the use of AI and ET. This came at the start of the ‘frame race’ where growth was achieved by increasing frame size. Big framed bulls like Gallaghers Yankee and Director were used. However common sense prevailed and more functional cattle – largely bred in New Zealand, became the answer. Bulls continue to be sold at the Gisborne Combined Sale to this day under the Cricklewood prefix. John was a real gentleman, stalwart and advocate of the Angus breed. He passed away in 2021.
In 2015 the herd was split and seeded the Hallmark Angus prefix under the stewardship of Max Tweedie. The legacy of the Cricklewood herd within Hallmark continues to be – power and capacity, structural integrity and genuine Angus breed character.
In 2017, most of the Heather Dell herd was purchased. The cattle demonstrated extra maternal strength, calving-ease and female quality. It was this demonstration that cemented the vision of a true maternal focus for the improvement of cows for New Zealand hill country. When combined with the power of the Cricklewood females – progress was made.It was this progress that started conversations with Will & Viv MacFarlane of Waiterenui Angus at Raukawa. Known for its tough summers.For Hallmark this was the ultimate - and the herd joined the programme in 2022. Forming a 500 cow strong base, mating over 700 females annually with an ability to apply population genetics at scale. Will & Viv continue to be involved with the new programme as mentors for Max & Lucy Tweedie as they continue the next chapter at Tutira in northern Hawkes Bay.
‘Sometimes you’ve got to look back to look forward’ – a nod to the legacy of four generations of cattleman with over 100 years of association coming together through the love of ‘good cattle’.
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See the bulls driving genetic gain.