Brancepeth was founded in 1856 when the brothers William and George Beetham walked around the coast from Wellington and took up the lease of a 10,000 acre block of land. Later joined by two other brothers Richmond and Hugh the 4 of them developed the property into a very big business farming some 76,000 acres (31,000 ha's). The family having come from England they tried to build a "little England" here in the Wairarapa with the planting of various oaks and elms they had brought with them, the addition of weeping willow picked up in Elba on the journey and a number of conifers that were added. These trees are now of giant proportions as they are 150 years old and are very impressive in the garden/park. Three trees are tendered by arborists on a bi-annual basis and the tree health is generally very good (Beetham. R.E. 2014)