Southburn is a farming settlement in the Lower Pareora riding of the Waimate county. A number of years ago a good deal of land was subdivided into convenient farms, which were sold, and these are now occupied by thriving settlers. The settlement is about seven miles from St. Andrews, and there is a local school.

The Southburn Post Office has been conducted since 1895 at the local public school. Daily mails are received and despatched by the teacher.

The Southburn Public School was established about 1892. The building contains a class room and a porch, with accommodation for from thirty-five to forty children. There are twenty-six names on the roll, and the average attendance is twenty-two. There are four acres of land attached to the school premises.

Miss Amy Evans, Teacher in charge at Southburn, was born at Pareora, and educated at the local school, where she served her pupil-teachership. She was for two years at Waituna Creek school, and afterwards four years at Kakahu Bush, before taking up her duties at Southburn in October, 1902.

Caird, David, Farmer, Upper Pareora, and “Moorhead,” Southburn. Mr. Caird was born in Scotland, on the 26th of June, 1843. His father was a farmer, but he himself learned the trade of a stone-cutter, in addition to gaining general experience of country life. In 1865 he arrived in New Zealand by the ship “Victory,” transhipped at Lyttelton, and landed at Timaru in a surf boat. He found employment in the Mackenzie Country for about two years, and subsequently at Ashwick station, Timaru. Then he removed to Holme station, Upper Pareora, and bought 250 acres of land. He has latterly purchased 1000 acres of freehold, which he calls “Moorhead,” in the Southburn district. He visited the Old Country in the year 1900. Mr. Caird served for about fourteen years on the Pareora school committee. He was married, in 1865, to a daughter of Mr. John Abercrombie, of Forfarshire, Scotland, and has four daughters and two sons.

Ferrier, photo.
Mr. D. Caird.

Higginbotham, Samuel, Farmer, “Cross Hill,” Southburn. Mr. Higginbotham was born in 1859, in Glasgow, Scotland, and was educated at Rugby, St. Andrews, and at Brunswick, in Germany. He spent a year and a half in connection with cotton manufacturing and calico printing, his father and grandfather having been large manufacturers in Glasgow. In 1884, Mr. Higginbotham came to Lyttelton by the s.s. “Doric,” and after looking round for two years, purchased “Cross Hill,” which consists of 530 acres of freehold land. Mr. Higginbotham is a member of the South Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and since 1884, he has been a member of the South Canterbury Hunt Club, and has served as a member of committee for some years. He has also been successful in winning several trophies. Mr. Higginbotham is a member of the Timaru Amateur Athletic Club, Golf Club, etc.

Ferrier, photo.
Mr. S. Higginbotham.

Kinross, Thomas, Farmer, “The Braes,” Southburn. Mr. Kinross was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in July, 1859, and was brought up to farming. He served two years in an analytical laboratory in Stirling, and was afterwards for ten years on his father's farm in Kincarrdinshire. In 1885 he came out to Otago, via Melbourne, and after a short time in Dunedin removed to South Canterbury, where he was overseer on the Pareora estate until the property was sold. Mr. Kinross then took up his present property of 300 acres of freehold upon which he runs about 500 sheep. As a Forester he is a member of Court Progress, St. Andrews, of which he has passed the various chairs; and as a Freemason he is attached to Lodge Caledonia, E.C., Timaru. Mr. Kinross was married, in 1899, to a daughter of the late Mr. Berry, of England.

McMillan, William, Farmer, Willow Tree Farm, Southburn. Mr. McMillan was born in Glenelg, Inverness-shire, Scotland, in 1863. He came to Port Chalmers with his parents in 1874 by the ship “Invercargill,” and was brought up as a shepherd in Otago, where he began to work for wages at the age of thirteen. After ten years in Otago he removed to South Canterbury, where he was employed as a shepherd for sixteen years, till taking up his present property in 1900. Mr. McMillan holds 355 acres of land under a lease in perpetuity, and depastures about 400 sheep. He was married, on the 13th of September, 1883, to a daughter of Mr. A. Hutchison, of Awamoko, Otago, and has five sons and four daughters.

Scott, Duncan, Farmer, Southburn. Mr. Scott was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, in 1843, and came to New Zealand, by the ship “British Empire,” in 1863. After his arrival he travelled through North Canterbury, and put up the first wire fence in the Mackenzie Country. He afterwards worked in the Timaru district for some years. In 1868, he bought a farm at Arowhenua, near Temuka, and worked it for twenty-one years. He then sold the property to Mr Gaffaney, and bought his present farm at Pareora, where he has since resided, and page 1046 has 1300 acres of good agricultural land. In a recent season he had 400 acres under crop, of which the wheat yielded an average of fifty bushels per acre, and the oats seventy-three bushels. Mr Scott has been a member of the Southburn school committee. He was married, in 1868, to Miss Annie Murphy, of Ireland, and they have five sons and two daughters.

Mr. D. Scott.

Ward, John, Farmer, Southburn. Mr. Ward is the eldest son of the late Mr. Robert Ward, and was born in Timaru in 1859. He was brought up to country life by his father, with whom he worked till the latter's death, and afterwards worked for his mother till 1882. In that year Mr. Ward acquired his present farm of 187 acres, of freehold at Southburn. He has greatly improved his property, and has erected a homestead and outbuildings. Mr. Ward was a member of the local school committee for three years, and chairman for two years of that period. He was married, in 1884, to a daughter of Mr. Charles Chivers, postmaster, of Beaconsfield, and has two sons and four daughters.