Early years
Alpheus Hayes grew up on a farm called Normanvale, in the Hakataramea Valley. He was a keen farmer, hunter, and outdoors enthusiast. At the age of 29, he with 4 others climbed to the summit of Mt Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand, being amongst the first 100 to do so. Then in 1931 he gained his pilot’s license.
A strong branch of the New Zealand Labour party was formed in the local village of Kurow, in the late 1930s. Alpheus joined the Labour party, driven by his belief that surplus funds sitting in London should be used to fund projects to employ the huge number of unemployed.
Alpheus did not enter active politics but followed the careers of his friends closely, three of whom became prominent members of Parliament. During the 1935 elections, won by Labour, he was an ardent supporter of the radical Social Security proposals which had been put into practice in Kurow during this time. Following this 1935 election New Zealand, then became the first place in the world to have a universal social security system for all its citizens.
MRA experience
A deep disconnect in him was answered by the ideas of Moral Rearmament, which he experienced through the play The Forgotten Factor. He responded positively to this ideology and its world outlook for he had felt that democracy required more Christian principals put into practice. He became actively involved with MRA in NZ. Each summer he hired university students to work on the farm. He would spend time with each one, seeking God’s plan for their lives. He and his wife Anna also visited the US, Europe, Philippines, Japan, and Australia. In America in1951, working with MRA friends, he was fortunate to attend the official signing of the military pact between America, Australia, and New Zealand.
But above all this, Alpheus was a passionate sheep and beef farmer, a profession he did with much enthusiasm and perfection. At one stage, as assessed by an official Government review, he built the best accommodation for farm workers in the country, and won a top award for his Corriedale rams.
English
