Springston is seventeen miles from Christchurch on the Christchurch-Southbirdge railway. It is situated midway between Ellesmere and Lincoln, and is bounded by the river Selwyn, and the districts of Burnham, Broadfields and Lincoln. The village, which is rather scattered, has an Anglican and a Wesleyan church, a library, public school, post, telegraph and money order office, a hotel, and a general store. Towards Lincoln the district is particularly rich and fertile, and produces very heavy crops, but towards Burnham on the west, the soil is of a lighter quality, but fattens large numbers of sheep. The district takes its name from the old Springs station, one of the estates taken up in the very early days of Canterbury by Messrs C. P. Cox and J. E. Fitzgerald. The old homestead, which has lately been replaced by a fine modern house, is within a short distance of Lincoln, and was named the “Springs” on account of the springs or water holes which abounded on a portion of the estate. In the early days large numbers of cattle were fattened on the station. On the subdivision and sale of the property in smaller holdings, the land was eagerly bought up, and the flax covered swamp has been converted into a cultivated country, dotted with beautiful clumps of trees, browsed by large herds of fine cattle, and rich in cereal and root crops. The river Selwyn, which forms the southern boundary of the district, is noted for trout, and at its entrance to Lake Ellesmere, fishermen sometimes catch fish weighing up to twenty pounds apiece. The district of Springston has a population of about 650 persons.

The South Springston School was first opened in June, in 1897, with an attendance of twenty-four children, and the present number on the roll is fifty-eight. Mr. Robert Malcolm has been headmaster since the school opened, and has for his assistant Miss Rose Anderson. Mr. Malcolm who is a native of Scotland, came to New Zealand twenty years ago, and received his education and training as a teacher in the North Canterbury district, where he has been employed for the greater part of the fifteen years covered by his experience.

The Springston Creamery, which was built in 1892, is centrally situated at the junction of the main roads of the district, and within a short distance of the railway station. It forms one of the numerous feeders of the Central Dairying Company, and has two de Laval cream separators, and is driven by an eight-horse power steam engine.

Mr. John Lowe, Manager of the Springston Creamery, was born at Springston, and followed the occupation of a flour miller for seven years. the confinement of this occupation did not suit his health, and he began working at the Springston creamery in 1897. Shortly afterwards he was appointed manager of the Marshland branch, and in 1899 he returned to take the management of the Springston creamery, which is the third largest of those owned by the Central Dairying Company. He has been a member of the Order of Druids for over six years.

Mr. J. Lowe.

Mr. R. J. Withell, formerly Manager of the Springston Creamery, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1865, and came to New Zealand, with his parents, in 1866, in the ship “John Templer.” He was educated at Brookside and was brought up to dairying and farming. He served at the Doyleston and Ladbrook creameries, and was appointed manager at Springston in September, 1897. Mr. Withell was married, in 1898, to Miss page 678 McLauchlan, daughter of Mr. J. McLauchlan, of Ruapuna.

Mr. and Mrs R. J. Withell.