Hi Stacey,Dan and families, I send this email with a heavy heart knowing you lost your father, father in law, and grandfather last night and the sadness you must feel. Rodney was a wonderful human being ,authentic, kind and loyal to his morals and values. I loved Rodney as a brother in law, he was most welcoming to me from the moment I met him ,over 30 years ago. I will remember his legacy with fondness for his generosity of spirit offered to my family and the memories that we can experienced on our many visits to NZ and his visit to us in Perth. I hope you take time to grieve your loss, look after yourselves and your families and to know my thoughts and love are with you at this profoundly sad time fin your lives. Rest in peace Rod. much love Fiona xx

With deepest heart felt sadness we are having to say good buy. Thank you for your tireless support, trust, and the love and friendship to me and my family. Thank you for your amazing tolerance to my moods, and the endless working hours put into the farm. Our love of horses and our time sheared with them will all ways stay in my heart, I will think of you when out riding. Your body is now silent but your soul has been set free. Rest in peace my old friend until we meet again. love Dianne

tribute to our loved Rodney we will always think of you with your seriously warm grin and rock like stature Rodney - before my time I heard there were many hunting trips made but Doug gave that up before i met him - Rodney visited us several times over the years since I was in the James family so saw some of his many wonderful facets - from memory ….! rakino island - Rodney and Doug went snorkeling around the rocks mid afternoon for seafood - they were gone for hours finally arriving home with mussels paua speared snapper which i managed to feed us even though i was beside myself as you both stayed out ages in the dark - i was on the deck furiously signaling you both with the torch so you didn't lose your bearings - i tried flashing and yelling across the bay!- so when you both casually came up the track with your bounty my relief was shown in hot sweet coffee - snacks and then dinner! oh and a couple of beers ! Vanuatu then Rodney came up to stay in port Vila - we had loads of fun going to producers bbq’s and dinners - Rodney fitted in easily with his vast farming knowledge and experience! we also had a wild cat menacing our inherited domestic one so after a couple of nights a decision was made between us 3 to shoot it - next day i smuggled the work gun home so Rodney could do the deed as he was more current in his shooting ability ! Rodney shot that cat alright but it wouldn't stop running amuck in the yard - two more shots and finally it was down - all 3 hit it but it’s adrenalin had kept it going - we then had the problem of disposing of it and returning the plant gun so the natives didn't report us to the police ! obviously we made it! Tauranga Christmas 2009 on the deck with gran, Pete, Sarah and young ones have not had a xmas here since ! fish and chips at bobby’s on the water - was such times we always felt empty after Rodney left us ! and latterly many times of Doug staying at grans ! (Doug told me Rodney snored very loudly!) Doug and Rodney shared the special brotherly bond of gentlemen - quiet understanding loyalty ! a real James trait! we will miss you Rodney and are so grateful you have left behind two fine young men Daniel and Stacey with their respective families to carry on and for us to see you in them and remember the top man you were to us all ! He kokonga whare e kitea, he kokonga ngākau e kore e kitea A corner of a house may be seen and examined; not so the corners of the heart arohanui Jan and Doug

MY DEAR BROTHER RODNEY. A BROTHER WHOM I HARDLY KNEW WHEN I WAS YOUNG AS HE LEFT TO GO FARMING WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD. LATER, I SPENT SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AT SHALIMAR STUD IN PIO PIO WITH LORRAINE AND THE BOYS. VERY FOND MEMORIES OF THIS TIME. RODNEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO FENCE A PADDOCK, POSSUIM SHOOTING AT NIGHTY AND COLLECTING SPAGNUM MOSS OUT OF THE SWAMP. HOW TO WORK STOCK ON HORSES WITH ALL HIS DOGS IN TOW. I’M SURE HE WOULD LAUGH AS MY HORSE WOULD HEAD FOR HOME IN A FRANTIC GALLOP AND ME HANGING OFF ITS NECK JUST BEFORE THE NEXT GATE. BOTH LORAINE AND HIM LOVED THIER HORSES. HE WOULD DISCIPLINE HIS DOGS 3 TIMES TO STAY BEHIND THE HORSE THEN IT WAS ITS FRONT PAW IN ITS COLAR FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. I OFTEN SPOKE OF THIS TO THE CITY SLICKERS HERE, SUGGESTING TO TRY THIS TECHNIQUE ON THEIR LAP DOGS TO THEIR TOTAL HORROR……YOU CANT DO THAT. AND DUCK SHOOTING AT CHEQUERS WITH DOUG AND BRUCE. ONE OF LORRAINE’S GEECE FLEW BY TOO CLOSE AND GOT A FULL VOLLEY. I CAN STILL HEAR RODNEY’S WORDS RINGING IN MY EARS….DONT BLOODY TELL LORRAINE………SORRY LORRAINE!! HE SET UP SHOOTING TARGETS FOR MY GIRLS TO TRY OUT THE GUNS ON ANOTHER VISIT AND THEY LOVED THE CHALLENGE. BRIANA CLEANED US ALL UP WITH A PERFECT SCORE. THEY LOVED THE TIME ON THE FARM WITH YOU AND THE NEW LITTER OF PUPS. YOU VISITED ME IN PERTH WHICH I LOVED . YOU TALKED ABOUT THE SEAFOOD PLATTER DOWN FREMANTLE WE HAD. WISHED WE COULD HAVE SHARED ANOTHER ROUND. MY VISIT IN JUNE THIS YEAR TO SEE HIM AND BID FAREWELL WAS VERY SAD BUT GLAD I SPENT THE TIME WITH HIM AND STACEY. HE WAS VERY FRUSTRATED WITH HIS PREDICAMENT BUT DETERMINED TO BEAT IT AGAINST ALL ODDS. HE WAS A PROUD MAN WITH FEW WORDS BUT WHEN HE SPOKE YOU KNEW IT MEANT SOMETHING. HE COULD SEE THINGS IN PEOPLE THAT MOST OF US WOULD MISS. HE LOVED THE FARMING LIFE AND IT SHOWED IN THE WAY HE RAN THE FARM. ALL HE WORKED FOR OVER THE YEARS COULD NOT HAVE HAD A BETTER STOCKMAN. LASTLY TO DANIEL, STACEY AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR LOOKING AFTER RODNEY AS BEST THEY COULD . VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE HIM SLIP AWAY IN FRONT OF YOU . HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SO GRATEFUL OF THIS AND PROUD OF THE WAY YOU DEALT WITH IT ALL. FAREWELL BROTHER…REST EASY NOW AND ENJOY THE WHISKEY WITH MUM AND DAD LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU ANDY, PAOLA, BRIANA AND JESS

My Dearest Brother. My earliest recollection of Rod's farming experience was tying up Dad's cattle beasts or trying to ride them in the yards on the Te Miro farm. Sometimes it went well but sometimes I can still hear dad's loud voice echoing in the yards after surveying the damaged railings and gates. Rod departed Te Miro and started on his life's journey when I was only 13 years old. He went to the South Island for a number of years to move to the Haupiri Station with Uncle Mac and Auntie Nolene. I think some stories have never left the west coast but I am sure the Wallace family have a few tucked away. I can remember going to Gisborne to see Rod when he was shepherding on the Tirihau and Tangihau stations. These were awesome adventures as these stations were huge and so remote to me. I can remember when I built my first hang glider and tried to carry out my first flight on the farm in Pio Pio, I said to Rod do you want have a go, his reply was “Don’t be bloody stupid I just saw Doug fly into a cabbage tree and you fly into a fence.” I can remember Duck shooting adventures at Pio Pio and having great farming activities like we used to on the farm in Te Miro with you. Rod always had his love of horses. He came down to the South Island with one of them to race at Wingatui and took me along to see how it went. It was called Rock the bank. I had never been to a race meeting so he showed me how to bet and I won my first race. It was the best day seeing him in his element. Rod was very proud of his family lineage. He admired old O.G. James for his time spent away with his horses at war and his bugling duties. He also talked about the early farming days “O.G” at Wairoa and Tauwhareparae north of Tolaga bay. This must have been the link to his love of horses. I can remember the old “OG” lining us up on the front lawn at Te Miro, Rod was the first in line with the Bugle in one hand and a pipe clamped between his teeth. The instructions were to stand tall and suck it in like a man. All I can remember is the marching that O.G did back and forth to the bathroom that night as old “O.G” was instructed by mum to clean up the sick from us boys. Rod was most proud of his sons Daniel and Stacey and their families and rightly so. He loved hanging out with the Grandchildren and watching their sport, encouraging their outdoor pursuits and mentoring them. Andrea and Renee were of great support lately to their partners and to Rod especially in the last 18 months or so as he became unwell and I am forever grateful for this - thank you Rod Brother, mate, confordont. Thanks for all your advice over your lifetime. You were a man of few words but a man of your word. I wish I had spent more time with you bro but life leads us in many different directions. Love you mate.

I like poppa because he was funny. If you go into his room in the morning he will say “piss off”. If you tickle him, he will punch you back. And he would bring us lollies when we were little. And he always went to our horse shows. Every time I saw him he said “I will knock your block off”. I love you poppa and we will miss you. Love Charlie Poppa was at as many of my horse shows, as he could make. He gave me his tips with dogs and horses. Some are good and some I’m not allowed to say! But they would all would better than Dads!! He gave me a western saddle that was so heavy he said, ‘You’re going to have to teach your horse how to sit down so you can put it on.’ When poppa came down to visit, he’d give me a bag of lollies. When he went to Thailand, he bought me a hat that says CHUCK, my horse’s name. I hope no one thought that was my name!! I learnt so much from poppa. Last year he gave me some cowboy boots. I don’t fit them yet. They are going to be big boots to full. I will always miss your visits. I learnt so much from you. I love you. Love Tom

Rod, we will miss your presence in our lives. We always enjoyed you calling in to chew the fat over a coffee or a beer and talk horses, racing, farming and family in no specific order. Condolences to Daniel and Stacey and their families. Rest in peace Rod you will always be remembered.

When we were young I had the privilege of spending time with Rod when he worked on the East Coast. He was such a special, kind man who devoted his life to his family, horses and dogs, he just loved the freedom of the hill country. Rod was the true great stockman. Rod and I continued a wonderful friendship, keeping in touch via phone, he loved talking of his latest horse, and his boys. Rod has left his family lots of memories that can never be taken away Pam Hamilton

I don’t know if I ever thanked you properly for everything that you did for me. I never wanted to have that final conversation with you. Every time you tried, I said not to worry, I’ll see you again. And I know one day I will. Until then, I will remember our chats, either here, or at the farm, or on the phone, remember your visits to bring me firewood or kindling, or meat, or to help with something, or to just bring mum and lunch. Thank you my old friend, from the bottom of my heart, for your kindness and love, and for always looking out for me. I love you and miss you. Rest peacefully.