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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]
The New Zealand And Australian Land Company, Ltd
The New Zealand And Australian Land Company, Ltd. Head office, 54 Castle Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. General manager, Mr. W. S. Davidson. New Zealand office, 11 Bond Street, Dunedin. Superintendent, Mr Thomas Brydone. Inspector, Mr. P. Pattullo. This large company was formed in 1867 with a capital of £2,500,000, taking over a number of estates and runs in Otago and Canterbury, which had previously been worked by several small associations. The magnitude of its operations may be gauged from the following figures. The freehold estates—“Acton,” near Rakaia, “Levels” and “Pareora,” at Timaru, and “Hakataramea” (all in Canterbury), “Totara,” near Oamaru. “Moeraki,” at Hampden, “Clydevale,” near Clinton (all in Otago), and “Edendale” (Southland)—totalled 209,986 acres, while the leasehold estates comprised 339,745 acres, making a grand total of nearly 550,000 acres, worked by the company. The stock on these various estates consisted of 334,000 sheep, 5967 cattle, and 824 horses, and, during the year ending March, 1897, over 6000 acres were cropped in wheat, 13,454 acres in turnips, and 11,672 acres were laid down in new English grasses. The whole of the flocks of the company have been raised from superior imported stock, and fresh strains are being steadily introduced, so as to keep abreast of the times. In sheep, stud Lincolns, Border Leicester, Romney Marsh, and Merinos are separately kept at various stations, the cattle being now confined to the Polled Angus and Shorthorn varieties. The dairy factory at Edendale—the first of its kind erected in New Zealand—was established by the company in 1882, and secured the Government bonus of £500. Some 200 tons of cheese is the annual product of this establishment. As pioneers of the frozen meat trade, the company loaded the sailing ship “Dunedin” in 1882, and have since shipped 350,000 sheep and about 1000 head of cattle, the annual number of sheep being about 50,000, which are killed and frozen at the various refrigerating works, and shipped by direct liners. These sheep are largely fattened on turnips, which are sown in drills and broadcast. Under certain restrictions, the whole of the lands of the company have been opened for sale, and already 133,213 acres have been satisfactorily sold. The operations of this company have generally been most beneficial to New Zealand, as well as to Australia, where upwards of one million acres are held. [Since this article was written the Levels and Edendale estates have been bought by the Government for close settlement.]