The loss of esteemed High Country farmer John Aspinall will be felt by farmers and access advocates across the country, says New Zealand Walking Access Commission Chief Executive Mark Neeson.

Mr Aspinall passed away on November 4 after a battle with Leukaemia.

“John was the quintessential man of the land,” Mr Neeson said. “His communication skills, immense farming background and active recreational interests made him a uniting force that brought farmers and recreational users together. He will be hugely missed.”

Mr Aspinall was a New Zealand Walking Access Commission Board member and played an important role in the establishment of the Commission, serving on the Walking Access Consultation Panel and the Walking Access Advisory Board.

He made major contributions to key Commission projects including the Outdoor Access Code and Walking Access Mapping System.

“John was a top bloke, extremely hard working, and a man of great integrity,” Mr Neeson said. “He didn’t just talk about the importance of access to the New Zealand way of life, he lead by example, allowing 80,000 people to cross his family’s Mt Aspiring Station every year so they could enjoy the neighbouring Mt Aspiring National Park.”

John was the third generation of his family to farm the 10,000 hectare station, which was settled by his grandparents Jack and Amy Aspinall under pastoral lease in 1920 and passed to his parents Jerry and Phyllis in 1950.

“He and his family wanted to give other people the chance to better understand rural life and be part of the environment in the same way they had for years.”

He and his wife Sue’s contribution to New Zealand was recognised when they were the supreme winners of the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards 2006. In 1995, he was honoured with an achievement award by the Otago branch of the Institute of Agricultural Science.

Over the past decade Mr Aspinall served on the Board of Federated Farmers, chaired the Federated Farmers High Country Committee, set up the Hieracium Control Trust and was actively involved in search and rescue.

He is survived by his wife Sue, son Randall and daughters Catie and Rachal.