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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Marshlands

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Marshlands.

Marshlands, which lies about five miles to the north of Christchurch, is a very rich and closely settled district. There are various soils, but the peaty one predominates. Onions are grown in abundance on areas of from five to thirty acres. Although the soil is rich, it requires a great deal of working to bring it into proper order. In some places it costs as much as £20 an acre for grubbing out the buried timber, and clearing and draining the land. So soft and spongy is the soil in places that the feet of the horses have to be padded to prevent them from sinking. There is a post office, a public school, with an average attendance of 108, and an Anglican church and a Methodist church in the settlement. The Styx railway station is situated about two miles from the school, which is in the centre of the district. The main roads are good, and are much frequented by driving parties and by bicyclists from Christchurch.

Dalgety, Charles G., Farmer, “Waitikiri,” Marshlands. Mr. Dalgety is a native of Hampshire, England, and third son of Mr. Frederick G. Dalgety, the founder of Messrs Dalgety and Co., the extensive wool buyers and stock and station agents, who have branches throughout the Autralian colonies. He was educated at Eton, and was afterwards in the office of Messrs Dalgety and Co., in London for two years. Mr. Dalgety came to New Zealand in 1891, and passed the first two years of his colonial life in the Oamaru district. He was then for twelve months on Hawkdun station in Central Otago. In 1894 he visited England, and returned to New Zealand in 1895. Mr. Dalgety was married in Otago, and was for four years inspector of his brother's stations in that province. Mr. Dalgety bought “Waitikiri,” which consists of 200 acres of rich land, in 1901. He is a steward and committeeman of the Canterbury Jockey Club, and owns a few thoroughbreds. Mr. Dalgety resides at “Waitikiri” homestead, which is situated in the northern portion of the Avon district.

Parish, Isaac, Dairy Farmer, Marshlands. Mr. Parish was born at Ellesworth, Cambridgeshire, England, in 1846, and accompanied his parents to the Colony by the ship “Cressy,” which arrived at Lyttelton in 1850. His father settled in the Heathcote district, where the subject of this notice was brought up to agricultural pursuits. Since 1866 he has been engaged in farming first in the Heathcote district, and subsequently in the Avon district. He has four small farms, aggregating about 100 acres, which are used for dairy purposes. Mr. Parish was married in 1866 to a daughter of the late Mr. William Piper, of Christchurch, and has six sons and two daughters. He has served as a member of the Avon Road Board.

Standish and Preece, photo Mr. I. Parish.

Standish and Preece, photo
Mr. I. Parish.

Mr. Morice Bing, sometime of Marshlands, was a native of Hungary, and arrived in Australia in 1852. He followed various callings for eight years in New South Wales, whence he came to Christchurch. Sheep grazing and wool-classing engaged his attention for three years, and he then took up 200 acres of land from the Church Property Trustees. He used this land as a cattle run for a number of years, and then sub-let it in small areas. Mr. Bing dealt largely in stock, and was a well-known figure at the old Carlton sale yards, and also at Addington. He bought land north of the river Avon, near the Stanmore Road, and sub-divided it into building areas, ranging from a quarter of an acre to one acre. These sections sold readily, and one of the first suburban districts adjacent to Christchurch was formed out of them, and was for many years known as Bingsland. Mr. Bing was esscntially a business man, and was invariably successful in his various transactions, but he took no part in local politics. He was married, in 1863, and when he died, in January, 1877, he left a family of three sons and four daughters.