Borrie, James, Farmer, Elephant Hill, Waihao Downs. Mr. Borrie was born at Papakaio in 1866, and passed his early years on his father's property, where he gained experience of farming. He purchased his present property of 1000 acres in 1892. It consists chiefly of agricultural land, and is devoted to the production of grain and wool crops, and to the pasturage of Border Leicester sheep and their crosses. The homestead is situated on the banks of the river, and is well sheltered by plantations from the prevailing winds. Mr Borrie's brother, Mr. William Borrie, also has a property in the district. It was acquired in 1899, and it, too, is devoted to grain growing, and the pasturage of sheep.

McKenzie, Archibald, Farmer, Waihao Downs. Mr. McKenzie was born at Port Chalmers, in 1872. He was brought up as a blacksmith, and was afterwards contracting at quarry work in the Port Chalmers district. In 1894, he opened a blacksmith's shop at Waihao Downs with his brother, but four years later he retired from the business, and acquired ninety acres of freehold land, which he has since farmed. Mr. McKenzie was married, in 1898, to a daughter of Mr. Mathew Tregoning, of Waimate and has two sons and one daughter.

Sides, Henry Alley, Farmer, Waihao Downs. Mr. Sides was born in Queen's County, Ireland, in 1862, and was brought up to a country life in his native land. He came to New Zealand in 1883, and found employment for a time at Styx, near Christchurch. He then went to Ohoka, and farmed 180 acres of leasehold land for thirteen years, and then bought his present property at Waihao Downs in 1900. Mr. Sides' land consists of 500 acres, and he has already made great improvements, and built a convenient homestead on it. While at Ohoka he was a member of the Sons and Daughters of Temperance, and also of the local school committee, and is now on the Waihao Downs school committee. In 1890 he married a daughter of Mr. John Preece, formerly of Kaiapoi, but now (1903) of Harewood Road, Christchurch, and has three sons and three daughters.

Cox. photo.
Mr. and Mrs H. A. Sides and Child.

Ward, Wilfrid Francis, Farmer Koropikopiko, Waihao Downs. Koropikopiko is the native name of Serpentine Valley, where Mr. Ward acquired a freehold of 586 acres in 1899. Mr. Ward's father, the late Mr. Joseph Ward, of Wairau, Nelson, settled in that district in 1842, and was a very well known settler and sheepfarmer. After being educated at the Marist Brothers' school, Nelson, Mr. Ward was employed on his father's station in Marlborough, and during spare time, acquired a practical knowledge of land surveying. In 1875 he commenced to practice as a land surveyor, and took several survey contracts under the supervision of the late Mr. Clark, Chief Government Surveyor at Blenheim. On removing to Dunedin in 1875, Mr. Ward was engaged by the New Zealand and Australian Land Company as surveyor, and held that position until the failure of the City of Glasgow Bank. He then returned to Marlborough and was employed on Government and private surveys. In 1881, he settled in Esk Street, Invercargill, and entered into the carrying trade, which he subsequently relinquished and took up some Government land near Riversdale, upon the deferred payment system. Nine years later he sold his interests, and bought a property, which he named “Verdlea,” near Gore. He was elected in 1890 as a member of the Southland County Council for the Oreti riding, was re-elected in 1893 and 1896, and was chosen chairman of the council in 1896. While at “Verdlea” Mr. Ward was president of the Gore Agricultural and Pastoral Society, a member of the Southland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, the Mataura Licensing Committee, and Gore Jockey Club. In 1880 he married Agnes, daughter of the late Mr. Edward Bowes, of Riverslea. This lady died on the 20th of September, 1898, leaving one son and eight daughters. On the 6th of August, 1899, Mr. Ward married a daughter of the late Mr. E. Dunne, of Wellington, and of this union one daughter has been born.

Mr. W. F. Ward.

Waihao Downs Station, Waihao Downs. This property was bought in the early eighties from Messrs Parker Bros., and consists of 2700 acres of splendid pastoral and agricultural country. It was originally much larger, but 7300 acres have been disposed of for purposes of closer settlement. About 15,000 Border Leicester sheep are depastured upon page 1085 the property, from 1000 to 1500 acres are put down in cereals every year, 500 acres in turnips, and four hundred acres in rape, in addition to about a thousand acres in grasss. About 250 miles of pipe and open drains have been constructed on the property, and the station was connected with the railway system by the extension of the branch from Waimate in 1886. The productiveness of the estate in the matter of fat sheep and lambs may be gathered from the return for the first ten weeks of 1903, when 8000 were sent to market.

Mr. John Fleming Douglas, of Waihao Downs Station, is the eldest son of the late Mr. John Douglas, who died at Mount Royal, Palmerston, on the 12th of August, 1903. He was born at Caversham, Dunedin, in 1864, and was educated at Oamaru, Dunedin, and in Scotland. On his return to New Zealand in 1887, he gave his attention to sheepfarming, and has managed the Waihao Downs estate since 1895. Mr. Douglas has served for five years as a member of the Waimate County Council, and for three years of that period was chairman. He has also served on the local hospital board, and is a member of the committee of the Waimate Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Mr. Douglas was married, in 1897, to a daughter of the late Mr. John Rankin of Waihao Downs, and has one son and two daughters surviving.