Middlemarch is a rising township on the Strath-Taieri plain, forty-eight miles north-west from Dunedin, on the Otago Central railway. For some time it was the terminal station on this line, but the pushing onward of the railway has not retarded the progress of the township, as it is the natural centre of a large out-lying district. Standing 650 feet above sea level, Middlemarch possesses a dry climate, and is rapidly becoming a favourite health resort. The summer seasons are warm, but not enervating, and the winters cold, but dry. The winter of 1903 will long be remembered as an exceptionally cold season; the temperature registered at Middlemarch on the 17th of July of that year was thirteen degrees below zero. Three religious denomination;—Presbyterian, Catholic, and Anglican—have erected places of worship, and periodical services are held in each. At the railway station there is a post, telegraph, and money order office; and a telephone bureau—connecting with Dunedin—is sure to be established in the near future. The public school is a substantial building, with a large number of scholars on the roll. The township has also two hotels, a public hall, stores, and a creamery. The establishment of the creamery gave an impetus to the dairying industry, and has greatly advanced the prosperity of the settlement. Strath-Taieri is a narrow plain, twenty miles in length, and a worderfully fertile agricultural area. It is well watered by a large number of streamlets that flow from the Rock and Pillar Range on the west, to the Taieri river on the eastern boundary. In this respect it has an equal advantage with North Canterbury—where an artificial water-race system is in vogue—inasmuch as there is scarcely page 596 a paddock on the plain that is not watered. The average annual rainfall is from twenty-seven to thirty inches. Hares, pigeons, ducks, and rabbits abound in the district; and trout in the many streams. The governing body of Strath-Taieri is the Taieri County Council, which deserves to be complimented on the good state of the well-formed roads throughout the district. An agricultural and pastoral association has been formed, and successful annual shows are held at Middlemarch at Easter time.

Cottesbrook Estate (R. H. Hunter-Weston J.P., proprietor), Middlemareh. This estate was originally taken up by Messrs Gellibrand and Smith, and in the early days it extended from the upper portion of the Strath-Taieri Plain down to the outskirts of Dunedin. It now lies about a mile and a half from Middlemarch, on the east side of the Taieri river, and comprises about 8,000 acres. The freehold portion of the estate consists of 700 acres of first class agricultural land, with a river frontage, and the remainder of the property is a grazing run extending from the Strath-Taieri Plain up the sunny slopes of the Taieri Ridge, upon which about 3,500 crossbred sheep are depastured. The arable land, which is devoted to mixed farming, has been subdivided, fenced, and considerably improved, and yields large crops of oats, wheat, and turnips. The proprietor devotes much attention to dairying, and has about 140 head of dairy cattle. He has recently installed some Lawrence-Kennedy milking machines, and a cream separator plant. Pig raising is also carried on at Cottesbrook, and specially constructed styes have been erected with floors and feeding troughs of concrete, while warm shelter houses and efficient drainage are also provided. The woolshed, stables, and other farm outbuildings, and the men's quarters are modern buildings, mostly of stone. The large residence is surrounded by shelter trees and ornamental gardens.

Mr. Reginald Hugh Hunter-Weston , J.P., Proprietor of the Cottesbrook estate, is a son of Colonel Gould Hunter-Weston, of “Hunterston,” Ayrshire, Scotland. He was born in Ayrshire, in 1869, and was educated at Wellington College. He passed through the militia into the army, and served for three years as a subaltern in India, but his health broke down, and he returned to Scotland. Mr. Hunter-Weston came out to New Zealand in 1895, and to gain a thorough knowledge of farming he worked as a cadet on Akitio station (Wellington), Ringway (Southland), and Gladbrook (Middlemarch). for about four years before acquiring the Cottesbrook estate. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1902. Mr. Hunter-Weston married the second daughter of Mr. John Roberts, C.M.G., and has one son.

Mr. R. H. Hunter-Weston

Gladbrook Estate has been owned by Messrs Murray, Roberts and Co. since 1873. It was originally held by Mr. Campbell Thompson, one of the pioneer settlers of Otago, at which time it extended from the Rock and Pillar Range to Deep Stream. The estate passed from Mr. Campbell Thompson into the hands of Messrs Gordon and Shepherd, who held it for a few years, until the Government began to cut up land for settlement. Messrs Murray, Roberts and Company then acquired the present Gladbrook estate, together with the adjoining Patearoa run, which extended over the Maniototo Plain. The lease of Patearoa expired in 1904, when the Government cut up that large property into small grazing runs. “Gladbrook” now comprises about 10,000 acres of freehold, and 45,600 acres of leasehold land. Of the freehold, 5,000 acres are first-class agricultural land, which has been improved, and is cropped chiefly for stock purposes. The average returns are forty-five bushels of wheat per acre, and seventy bushels of oats; though oats have yielded up to 110 bushels and wheat up to sixty-five bushels per acre. The leasehold portion of the property is a grazing run, extending from the agricultural tableland to the summit of the Rock and Pillar Range, and here 15,000 crossbred sheep are grued. For many years up to 42,000 sheep have been shorn annually on the combined Gladbrook and Patearoa estates. There are about 800 cattle at Gladbrook—solely of the Polled Angus breed—for the raising of which prize stock were specially imported. Clydesdale and lighter horses are also bred on the estate, which may be termed one of the best properties in Central Otago, and the numerous farm buildings are well appointed. The beautiful homestead, surrounded by its well laid out gardens, is the country residence of Mr. John Roberts, C.M.G.

Mr. John Elliott , General Manager of Gladbrook Station, was born in Roxburghshire, Scotland, in 1844. He was brought up to pastoral pursuits and came to the Colony in 1861 by the ship “Pladda,” which discharged her passengers at Port Chalmers. After a short experience on the goldfields, he took to station life and had the management of the Matakanui estate for three years, prior to being appointed manager of the Patearoa and Gladbrook stations in 1876. Mr. Elliott was for some years a member of the Taieri County Council, and was married, in 1896, to a daughter of the late Mr. Mathias, of North Canterbury, and has two sons.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Mr. J. Elliott.

Mason William Diarcy , J.P., Settler, Middlemarch. Mr. Mason in a native of Portsmouth, England, and came out to Lyttelton by the ship “Northampton” in 1874. He engaged in a farming life, and in contracting, and has an intimate acquaintance with almost every portion of the South Island. He now resides at his property, Riverlea Farm, on the Strath-Taieri, adjoining the Cottesbrook estate, and fronting on the Taieri river. Mr. Mason has devoted much time and energy to the welfare of his district, and for several years has ably filled the position of chairman of the Middlemarch school committee. He was president of the local Farmers' Club during most of the time of its existence, and the establishment of a creamery at Middlemarch was mainly due to his efforts. Mr. Mason is a well-read man, an able writer, and a versatile and fluent speaker. He married the eldest daughter of Mr. Thomas Allan, of Allandale nursery gardens, Dunedin, and has five children. Mr. Mason is now (1904), for the second time, a delegate to the Otago Trades and Labour Council, on which he represents the Otago Agricultural and General Labourers' Union of Workers—a unique position for a farmer.

Popham, Thomas , “Riversdale,” near Middlemarch. Mr. Popham was born at Barnstaple, Devonshire, England, in 1833, page 597 As a lad he followed farming, but at the age of nineteen became a Royal Marine on H.M.S. “Sanspareil,” of the Channel fleet. In this capacity he visited Lisbon and Hongkong, and was also at Calcutta at the time of the Indian Mutiny. On the outbreak of the war with China the “Sansparil” was commissioned for active service, and Mr. Popham participated in the attack on Canton, where the force stormed the forts and scaled the walls of the city. When peace was declared, he returned to England, and purchased his discharge. He then visited Barnstaple, and subsequently went to Wales, where he learned sheep-farming. Mr. Popham arrived at Melbourne in 1861, and engaged in gold digging for a time before coming to New Zealand, by the ship “Bengal” in 1862. He took part in the Dunstan “rush,” but meeting with little success, he removed to the Taieri, where he successfully engaged in contracting for about four years. Mr. Popham then commenced farming, and afterwards bought his present fine property—which consistsof 620 acres of freehold agricultural land—in Strath-Taieri. In addition to this he subsequently took over grazing runs, and still holds “Smooth Cone” consisting of 1000 acres. Mr. Popham is a member of the Imperial Veterans' Association, and also of the Otago Early Settlers' Association. He has been twice married, and has, surviving, a family of two sons and three daughters. One son, who served with the Fourth Contingent in South Africa, and was entirely equipped by his father, returned from the war only to die at Middlemarch. Another son, who served with the Seventh Contingent, was present at the Bothasberg disaster, where the contingent suffered so severely.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Mr. T. Popham.

Poplar Grove Estate (William Kirkland, proprietor), Middlemarch. When the Strath-Taieri was first thrown open for settlement the late Mr. John Kirkland acquired two one-hundred-acre blocks, the nucleus of the present estate. Six months later he visited his property for the first time, and finding that the adjoining blocks had not been taken up, he applied for them and secured them. Other small properties have been added by his son, Mr. William Kirkland, who is now proprietor of the estate, in addition to his large farm on the Taieri Plain. “Poplar Grove,” which now comprises 1714 acres, may be termed the “pick” of the Strath-Taieri. The whole property is of first-class arable land, and has been improved, fenced, and sub-divided into nineteen paddocks, with a running stream of water in each. Wheat grown on the estate averages forty-five bushels per acre, and oats fifty-five bushels, while turnips, potatoes, and other root crops are raised with exceptional success. There is a fine herd of cattle at “Poplar Grove,” and the milk of about fifty cows is sent to the Middlemarch creamery. About 1000 crossbred sheep are also grazed, and the farm outbuildings, which are scrupulously clean, reflect much credit upon the management.

Mr. William Moynihan , who has been Manager of Poplar Grove estate since 1891, was born in the south of Ireland in 1858. He was brought up to farming, came to Port Chalmers in 1876, by the ship “Thomasina McLennan,” and went at once to Mr. Cullen's farm on the Taieri, where he remained for four years. Mr. Moynihan was subsequently engaged on Mr. Kirkland's Taieri farm, before being appointed to his present position in 1891. In 1901 he took up “Spring Terrace” farm, at Middlemarch, a fine property of about 400 acres, fronting the Taieri river, the working of which is being supervised by a manager. Mr. Moynihan has been chairman of the show committee of the local Agricultural and Pastoral Association during the three years of its existence, and is also a member of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association. He has served on the Sutton school committee ever since it came into existence. Mr. Moynihan has a family of three sons. His wife died in 1896.

Mr. W. Moynihan and Children.