The Upper Motupiko School is a wood and iron building, with one class room and a porch. The roll, in 1905, contained twelve names. There is one acre of ground, and the teacher's residence has three rooms.

Miss Florence Mccarthy , Sole Teacher of the Upper Motupiko School, is a native of Baton, Nelson. She was educated at the Baton school, and at the Convent High School in Nelson. Miss McCarthy was sole teacher at the Baton for a year; then she taught for a year in the Catholic Girls' Industrial School at Nelson; and in 1905 she entered the State school service as teacher of the Upper Motupiko school.

The Post Office And Telephone Bureau at Murchison is conducted at the private residence of Mr. McNee, who, as postmaster, is assisted by Miss McNee. Mr. McNee is further referred to as a general merchant at Murchison.

Matai River, Nelson.

The Murchison School was opened in the early eighties. It stands on three acres of ground, is a wood and iron building, with two class rooms and a porch, and has room for from seventy to eighty pupils. In 1905 page 280 the roll contained forty-eight names, and there was an average attendance of thirty-nine. There is a teacher's residence of five rooms. At Matiri, near Longford, there is a small side school (worked under Murchison) with an attendance of eight. It is taught by a pupil teacher. The headmaster of the Murchison school, Mr. George Lawn, is assisted by Mrs F. E. Webb.

Mr. George Lawn , Headmaster of the Murchison School, is a native of Lefroy, Tasmania, where he was born in 1883. As a child, he came to the Greymouth district with his parents, and was educated there and at schools in the Reefton district. In 1898, he entered the Reefton school as a pupil teacher, and whilst there took his E certificate. His D certificate he gained in 1902. For two years, Mr. Lawn was teacher of the Gordon school, which he left in 1904 to take charge of the Murchison school. When in Reefton, Mr. Lawn was colour-sergeant of the Reefton Rifles, and when at Gordon was sergeant of the Waimea Rifles. In Murchison, he is captain of the Murchison Defence Rifle Club, and secretary of the local Racing Club. He takes an active interest in affairs generally in the district, and particularly in matters connected with athletic sports. Mr. Lawn holds a D3 certificate.

Commercial Hotel (Owen Lynch, proprietor), Murchison. This hotel was established in the year 1878. It contains eleven bedrooms, two sitting-rooms, and a billiard room. The best liquors are kept, the accommodation is good, and there is a moderate tariff. There is also stabling for eight horses in connection with the establishment.

Mr. Owen Lynch was born in the year 1843, in County Cavan, Ireland, where he was educated, and brought up on his father's farm. In 1865, he came to New Zealand and landed at Auckland. For a short time, he was engaged in farm work, and afterwards went to the Thames goldfields. Mr. Lynch then went to Nelson, and for a time was mining in the Murchison district, where he has since resided. In 1870, he took up land, and acquired the Commercial Hotel in the year 1901. For about thirteen years, Mr. Lynch was on the Commission of the Peace. When the Hampden Road Board was in existence he was one of its members. He was for six years a member of the Inangahua County Council, and was for a number of years chairman of the Matakitaki school committee, and he has been a member of the Nelson Land Board since 1897. He married in 1875, and has four sons, and four daughters.

McNee, Robert, General Merchant, Murchison and Horse Terrace. Mr. McNee carries a large stock of groceries in his premises at Murchison, including drapery, boots and general supplies. There is also a butchery and bakery in connection with the establishment, and a large number of vehicles and horses are employed. A son of Mr. McNee's conducts the branch store at Horse Terrace, Mr. McNee has also twenty-one acres of freehold in Murchison, and fifty-three acres of freehold, and 100 acres of leasehold at Horse Terrace.

Mr. Robert Mcnee was born in the year 1836 at Lochearnhead, Perthshire, Scotland, where he was educated and learned the drapery trade. He afterwards went to Melbourne, Australia, in 1857, and was storekeeping at Ballarat for some time. In 1861, Mr. McNee came to New Zealand, and followed the gold rushes at Gabriel's and Switzers. He then returned to Australia, and after a short visit to Austoria, came back to New Zealand, and went to the Wakamarina. Later, Mr. McNee visited the Grey district in the “Nelson,” on her first trip to the West Coast, and followed the various rushes. He then started in business at Okarito, where he remained for two years and six months; and subsequently, for some years, he conducted business at Hokitika. About 1877, Mr. McNee removed to Murchison, and was employed in the store of Mr. Moonlight. He afterwards acquired the store, in conjunction with others, but he subsequently bought out the other interests, and has since conducted the business on his own account. For many years, Mr. McNee was chairman of the Murchison school committee. He is librarian and secretary of the local library, the establishment of which was largely due to his energy; and he is chairman of the Cemetery Trustees. As a Freemason, he is a member of Lodge Pacific. He is also a member of Prince Alfred Lodge of Oddfellows, Hokitika, of which he was Noble Grand when Mr. Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand, was initiated. Mr. McNee is married, and has four sons and four daughters.

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Mr. B. McNee.

Hodgson, H. J. And Co ., General Storekeepers, Murchison. This firm carries on a general country store, and keeps a full supply of groceries, drapery and boots. Goods are delivered throughout the Murchison district by the firm's own carts, and three persons are employed. The firm holds agencies for the Royal Insurance Company and for Zealandia Boots.

Mr. Herbert John Hodgson , the Resident (Partner (the other partner, his brother, has a large business at Wakefield), holds sixty-six acres of good land in the township and its neighbourhood. He was born in Wakefield, in 1868, and served his time there as a wheelwright. For many years he was engaged in erecting mining machinery in various districts on the West Coast. In 1901, he started the present business, in partnership with his brother, and made Murchison his page 281 home. Mr. Hodgson is a member of the Wakefield Rechabite Lodge, and a member of the local racing club. He married a daughter of Mr. Charles Downie, of Murchison, and has one son.

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Mr. H. J. Hodgson.

Lynch's Store , the Six-Mile, Murchison. This store is conducted by Mr. Lynch, together with a butchery. There is also a farm of 350 acres in connection with the establishment, and grazing and cropping are carried on. Mr. Lynch is further referred to as the proprietor of the Commercial Hotel.

Thomson, Alexander, Farmer, “Forest Home,” Murchison. Forest Home Farm consists of 330 acres of first class land, chiefly rich river deposit. It is situated within three miles of Murchison, and is devoted to mixed farming; root and grain crops grow well on the land. There is a comfortable homestead, and convenient and well laid out farm buildings. Mr. Thomson has also a small run of 1400 acres of freehold on the Mangles river, on which he grazes sheep and cattle, Mr. Thomson was born at the Carse O'Gowrie, in Perthshire, Scotland, in the year 1843, and was educated at a Dundee grammar school. When nearly fifteen years of age, he was apprenticed to the sea, and served for three years and a-half. In August, 1861, he came to New Zealand, arrived in Nelson by the ship “Glenshee,” and went to Marlborough, where he was employed on the Glenlee station. He worked there for five years and six months, became manager, and in 1867 removed to Hokitika, where he ran a line of coaches. Later on, Mr. Thomson sold his horses, and for a few months was mining at Addison's. He then went to Caledonian Terrace, where he conducted a butchery business for two years, and subsequently removed to Wangapeka, where he was engaged in the same business for one year. Mr. Thomson afterwards acquired the Baton Plain run, Wangapeka, of 2000 acres, and conducted it for about twenty-three years. He finally sold out and purchased the Forest Home Farm. Mr. Thomson was for three years a member of the Wangapeka County Council, and for fifteen years a member of the Baton Plain school committee. He is treasurer of the Fern Flat school committee; was appointed a Justice of the Peace some years ago; and is Acting-Coronor for the district. As a Freemason, he is a member of Lodge Southern Star, Nelson. Mr. Thomson married a daughter of the late Mr. W. Bell, formerly a member of the Nelson Education Board, in the year 1871, and has two sons and two daughters.

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Mr. A. Thomson.

Kohi Kohi Gold Dredging Company, Limited . Offices in Wellington; secretary, Mr. H. F. Logan. This company is dredging in the Matakitaki Valley, from four to five miles from Murchison. The dredge is 88 feet by 30 feet, with four-feet buckets. The twenty horse-power boiler is by Cable, and the sixteen horse-power engine is a Marshall, and Cable winches are worked by Marshall engines. A successful sluicing claim on the banks of the Matakitaki is also owned by the company.

Amikitea Gold Dredging Company, Limited . The offices and secretary are the same as in the case of the Kohi Kohi Company, and Mr. W. H. Barber, M.H.R., is chairman of directors of both companies. A powerful dredge is at work on the Amikitea claim, about half a mile from the Kohi Kohi.

Mr. Thomas Wearne , Dredgemaster of both dredges, and manager of the sluicing claim, was born in Alexandra, Otago, in 1865, and educated at Reefton and Hokitika. He entered the Telegraph Department, but left it to take up mining work. Since qualifying as a mine manager, he has had a long connection with mining in various parts of New Zealand. He was for some time underground manager of the Endeavour Inlet antimony mines, and was for five years in charge of the King Solomon mine at Mahakipawa. For about two years he was engaged in farming in the Palmerston North district, but sold out and was then connected with quartz mining, as a foreman, at Waihi, which he left to take charge of the Kohi Kohi and Amikitea companies. Mr. Wearne holds a first class mine manager's and a second class engine driver's certificate. As a Freemason, he is a member of the Marlborough Lodge, New Zealand Constitution. Mr. Wearne is married, and has two sons.

The Alpine Extended Gold Mining Company, Limited ; Registered Office, Main Street, Lyell. Solicitors, Messrs Free and Cottrell, Reefton. Bankers, National Bank of New Zealand. Directors, Messrs P. N. Kingswell (chairman), D. Young, P. Butler, and T. Bell. Legal Manager, Mr. P. B. McMahon, Reefton. The present company is an amalgamation of the United Alpine Company with the Lyell Creek Extended Company, and was formed in the year 1897. Previous to the amalgamation, the United Alpine Company had given rich returns and paid handsone dividends. The Alpine Extended has a capital of £25,000 in 50,000 shares of ten shillings each. The plant includes a battery of twenty heads of stamps, and the usual equipment. The property is situated about three miles from Lyell, with which there is communication by good roads. The township connected with the mine is situated on a hill some hundreds of feet above the battery, which is in the Lyell river bed. About ten persons are employed.

Mr. William Rodden , Battery Manager of the Alpine Extended Gold Mining Company, Limited, is also mine manager. He was born in Goulburn, New South Wales, in the year 1866, and came to New Zealand at an early age. He was educated at St. Mary's School, in Nelson, and at fifteen years of age entered the service of the company. He started as a feeder in the battery, has gone through all classes of work incidental to quartz mining, and has been blacksmith, engineer, amalgamator, and cyanide expert. In 1893, he was appointed battery manager and mine manager. As a Freemason, Mr. Rodden is a member of Lodge Phoenix, English Constitution, Westport.

The Gibb's Town Public School is situated about three miles from Lyell. It is a wood and iron building, and contains one classroom and a porch. There is accommodation for fifty pupils. The roll contains sixteen names, and there is an average attendance of fifteen.

Mr. John Mcfadden , Headmaster of Gibb's Town Public School, was born at Stirling, Otago, in the year 1874, and was educated primarily at page 282 Edendale. For about two years he was headmaster of the Skippers school and then had charge, for short periods successively, of the Waipounamu, Waikawa, and Hamilton Burn schools, under the Southland Board. Mr. McFadden was for two years in charge of the Stoke Industrial School, before his present appointment. He has an E3 certificate. When in Southland, Mr. McFadden was a member of Court Royal Oak, No. 6532, Ancient Order of Foresters, at Wyndham.

Mr. J. McFadden.

The Three Channel Flat Public School is a wooden building with one class-room and a porch, and has accommodation for about twenty scholars. The average attendance is twelve.

Miss Emma Marie Kirstine Nielsen , Sole Teacher of the Three Channel Flat Public School, was born at Palmerston North. She was educated at Cullensville, where she was for some time a pupil teacher. For about two years Miss Nielsen was at the Stephen's Island school, and was afterwards for one year and three months at Port Underwood. She then took charge of the Kekerangu school for one year before she received her present appointment in July, 1905. In company with her father, Miss Nielsen visited Denmark a year or two ago.

De Filippi, Stefano, Farmer, Sawmiller and Coal Mine Proprietor, Three Channel Flat. Mr. De Fillipi's farm consists of 360 acres, on which he carries on grazing. His sawmill is situated near the Lyell road, and is driven by water power, with a thirtyfive feet iron wheel of twelve horsepower. The mill has a complete equipment of breaking-down and breast-benches, and an English planing machine, etc. For about four years, Mr. De Filippi has been working a small coal mine, in which there is a good supply of very fair steaming coal. The proprietor's own teams are employed in the carting of both timber and coal, and the dredges working below the Lyell are supplied from his mine. Mr. De Filippi was born in the year 1839 in Lombardy, Italy, and was brought up to farming, after serving an apprenticeship as a stonemason. In 1861, he went to Melbourne, Australia, and afterwards to Sydney, and in 1862 came to New Zealand. Mr. De Fillipi landed in Nelson, went to the Wakamarina diggings, and, later, to the Lyell. In the year 1875, he settled in the Channel Flat district, and has gradually acquired his various properties. He is married, and has eight children.

Mr. Charles Green , sometime of Motueka, settled in the province of Nelson in 1848. He was twenty years old when he shipped as a seaman on board the “Bednister,” for New Zealand. The vessel first touched at Taranaki, where she landed some passengers, and then passed on to Nelson, where Mr. Green remained, and engaged in pit-sawing and farming. In 1852 he took up land, which he farmed with much success. His property consisted of 100 acres of fertile farm land at Motueka, and 1000 acres of sheep grazing country at Moutere. Mr. Green was for more than forty years a member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity. He was married in 1852, and had a family of eight sons and three daughters. Mr. Green died on the 27th of September, 1902.

The Fern Flat Post Office is a small building situated in the school grounds. It includes a telephone office and a money order and savings bank department. Miss Gayne, who is further referred to as teacher of the Fern Flat public school, is postmistress.

The Fern Flat Public School is an old wooden building, and was established many years ago. It has accommodation for forty pupils; the roll contains eighteen names, and there is only an average attendance of fifteen, as the cessation of mining and sluicing in the district has seriously reduced the population. The school residence contains four rooms.

Miss V. E. Gayne , Sole Teacher of the Fern Flat Public School, was born in London, England, came to New Zealand with her parents at an early age, and was educated at Wanganui. After serving as a pupil teacher in Wanganui, she was appointed to the Eltham road school, Taranaki, prior to her present appointment. She has a D3 certificate. Miss Gayne is postmistress at Fern Flat.

Miss V. E. Gayne.

Billett, James, General Contractor and Carrier, Reefton. Mr. Billett carries on an extensive business as a contractor and carter for the Consolidated Goldfields Company. He supplies the whole of the timber and coal used by the various mines, and employs sixteen men and about twenty horses. Mr. Billett holds two coal leases at Murray Creek, and from these he obtains his supplies of coal. He is largely interested in mining ventures in the Capleston district, at Kirwan's Reward, and in the new reefs in the Wilberforce, where he and his party hold 400 acres. Mr. Billett was born in the year 1853, at Ford, Wiltshire, England, where he was educated, and brought up to farm work. He came to New Zealand in the year 1873, and landed in Wellington, where he stayed for a short time, and then went to the West Coast. Mr. Billett settled in the Reefton district, where he has since resided. He holds considerable property in and around Reefton, including a farm of 100 acres. Mr. Billett was a page 283 member of the Capleston school committee, and was chairman for three years, and is a member of the Reefton Oddfellows' Lodge. He is married and has two daughters.

Mr. J. Billett.

The Horse Terrace Sluicing Company, Limited ; Offices, Auckland. Secretary, Mr. H. Gilfillan, junior. This company was formed with a capital of £5000. It acquired from McDougall Brothers, two holdings of twenty acres each, situated at Horse Terrace, ten miles from Murchison; and, in addition, a special claim of 100 acres was taken up. Operations were commenced in November, 1904, and have been carried on continuously since that date. A race, two miles and a-half in length, and six feet in width, was brought in, carrying thirty-five Government heads of water. Power is held to bring in 100 heads, and it is proposed to exercise this power when fuller development work has been carried out. Two faces are at present (1905) being worked. An up-to-date electric light plant has been installed, and gives a 92–16 candle-power. Twelve persons are employed. A sawmill in connection with the works is driven by a six-feet Pelton wheel, and supplies the timber used in the claim.

Mr. Charles Spurgeon Beilby , Mining Engineer, is manager of the Horse Terrace Sluicing Company's claim, and has conducted the whole of the development and prospecting work in connection with it. He was born in Wimmera. Victoria, Australia, in the year 1879, and came to New Zealand at an early age. Mr. Beilby was educated at Westport, and at the Otago School of Mines, where in three years he obtained his diploma as Associate of the Society of Mining Engineers. He also studied metallurgical and chemical research work under Professor Black for one year. Mr. Beilby then worked in sluicing claims in the Westport district, followed by underground work in the Consolidated Mines in Reefton, and research work on concentrates for the Consolidated Company. In Reefton he also gained experience in battery and cyanide work. For some time he was manager of the large sluicing claim at Newtown Flat, after conducting the engineering and development work. Mr. Beilby did the preliminary prospecting and development work for the Horse Terrace claim. He is a fair mechanical engineer, and is able to attend to and erect all classes of mining machinery. Mr. Beilby is Noble Grand of Lodge Matakitaki, Manchester Unity, Independent Order of Oddfellows.

The Matakitaki Post Office is conducted in a small building next to the Mammoth Hotel. Mr. T. O'Rourke is postmaster.

The Matakitaki Public School is situated about five miles from Murchison, up the Matakitaki Valley. It is an old wooden building, and has been in existence since the middle of the eighties. There is one class-room with accommodation for about twenty pupils, and there is an average attendance of twelve.

Miss Cynthia O'Rourke was appointed sole teacher of the Matakitaki public school in the year 1900. She was born at Murchison, where her father was a well known farmer.

Mammoth Hotel (Thomas M. O'Rourke, proprietor), Matakitaki. This hotel was established in the early seventies, when a considerable amount of mining was being carried on in the Matakitaki Yalley. It is situated fourteen miles from Murchison, and four miles from Horse Terrace, and contains fourteen rooms. The best of liquors are kept, the accommodation is good, and the tarilf is moderate. A farm of 100 acres is connected with the hotel.

Mr. Thomas Michael O'Rourke was born at Pleasant Creek, Victoria, Australia, on the 11th of September, 1865. When he was quite a lad his parents came to New Zealand and settled in the Reefton district, where he completed his education. Mr. O'Rourke was engaged for a time in the office of one of the Reefton papers, and then worked in a battery at Reefton. Subsequently, he engaged in farm work at Murchison, and was then droving between Nelson and Reefton. Mr. O'Rourke afterwards carried on the work of breaking, training, and riding horses, and, later still, he was enginedriving on a dredge. For some time he was farming in the Murchison district, but in 1897, he acquired the Mammoth Hotel. Mr. O'Rourke has a wide knowledge of the Buller district. He has been a member of the Matiri school committee. Mr. O'Rourke is married and has four children.

Ring, photo.
Mr. T. M. O'Rourke.

Trower, Charles Thomas Noel, Farmer, Matiri Farm, Longford. Mr. Trower's farm is situated on the banks of the Matiri stream, and consists of about 550 acres, devoted chiefly to grazing, though he does also a small amount of cropping. About twenty years ago, Mr. Trower started the growing of hops, and was the first, and has been the only, farmer in the Buller Valley to make the attempt. Good crops have been obtained, and Mr. Trower intends to continue his experiment. Mr. Trower was born in Nelson, in 1845, educated there and learned malting. For seven or eight years, he was farming in the Murchison district, but left to take over a farm at Motupipi, where he also kept an accommodation house. In 1879, he took up a portion of his present holding, which has been added to since. For some time he carried on business as a brewer at Longford. Mr. Trower was a member of the Motu- page 284 eka Road Board, and also of the Hampden Road Board. So long as there was a school committee at Matiri he was a member of it. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Wakefield, and also of the Wakefield Lodge of the Manchester Unity, Independent Order of Oddfellows. Mr. Trower, who is a widower, has a family of seven children.

Sherlock, photo.
Mr. C. T. N. Trower and the Late Mrs Trower.

Mcconochie. Thomas Newton, Farmer, Glenfield Farm, Hope Valley. Postal address, Longford. “Glenfield” is a grazing farm of 1000 acres, near the Hope Saddle. Mr. McConochie was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1842, and in 1863 came out to Nelson by the ship “Ravenscraig.” He obtain ed employment on a station in the Marlborough district, and continued at that class of work for some years. In 1868, together with Mr. Alexander Thomson (now of Forest Home, Murchison), he started a butchery business at Caledonian Terrace, outside of Westport. On giving that up, he entered into business as a cattle and sheep dealer in the Nelson, Marlborough, and West Coast districts. In 1885, he took up land in the Hope Valley, where he has since had his home. For some time Mr. McConochie was a steward of the Motueka Valley Racing Club, and he is chairman of the local school committee. He is married and has a family of seven. The school work of the district is carried on in Mr. McConochie's house.