The Cheviot Estate.

This estate, comprising about 84,000 acres, was purchased from the Nelson Government by the late Hon. William Robinson many years ago. It is bounded on the north by the Waiau-ua River, on the cast by the sea, on the south by the Hurunui, and on the west by the Kaiwara Stream and a right line along the eastern slope of the Lowry Peaks to the Waiau-ua.

The estate is about twelve miles square, and very compact The distance from Christchurch is forty-one miles by rail to the Waipara Railway-station; thence by a fairly good road to a bridge over the Hurunui, a distance of about twenty-three miles; thence to the homestead on the Jed Stream is about eleven miles: or about seventy-five miles by rail and road. The distance by sea from Lyttelton is about sixty-five miles.

That it is a good block of country was first proved in 1818, when Mr. J. S. Caverhill, after looking well over the Nelson and Marlborough districts, saw the country which is now comprised within the Cheviot Estate, and at once determined to take it up as a pastoral run. Mr. Caverhill selected the site for the homestead, and built there early in 1849.

It was in the year 1853 that the late Hon. William Robinson, having visited Cheviot, was so pleased with what he saw, that he made application at the Provincial Land office, Nelson, to purchase a portion of the block, and succeeded gradually in acquiring the whole. Mr. Caverhill's tenure of the land ceased when the fee-simple was purchased. The new owner of Cheviot, as soon as he had taken possession, set to work to build, fence, and make extensive improvements, and there are few properties in the colony equal to Cheviot for substantial buildings, excellent gardens and orchards, extensive plantations, and secure fencing.

The estate possesses in Port Robinson a small natural port, well sheltered, except from the north-east, and easterly winds and seas. page 2 This arises from the fact that a headland and two reefs project into the sea, so as to partly enclose and form a harbour. Vessels are brought to an anchorage in six fathoms of water, within about a quarter of a mile from the shore. The port is well equipped with an excellent surf-boat service, and provided with all necessary facilities for receiving supplies or exporting produce. A slip was erected some years ago, together with a large and well-built store. There is also a large steel cargo-boat, 36ft. by 9ft., capable of carrying ten tons. The boat is worked by a cable and stationery engine of twenty horsepower. The whole of the plant is in good working order. Freight to and from Lyttelton is at present from 10s. to 12s. per ton.

The Government acquired the estate under the Laud and Income Assessment Act. The property was assessed at £304,826, the improvements being valued at £54,300, with an unimproved value of £250,526. It was returned by the Trustees of the estate as of the value of £260,220. The improvements were valued at £60,150, and the unimproved value at £200,070. The Trustees objected to the assessed value; but the Commissioner of Taxes disallowed the objection, and referred the question to the Board of Reviewers, who upheld the assessed value.

The Trustees then addressed a letter to the Commissioner of Taxes, calling upon him to reduce the valuation to their value—namely, £260,220, or else to take the property at that price, in terms of the Land and Income Assessment Act.

After these valuations had been made, and considered by [unclear: the] Government, it was determined to acquire the property at the [unclear: Trustees] valuation of £260,220, and on the 9th December, 1892, an Order [unclear: in] Council was passed giving effect to the same. The transaction [unclear: with] completed on the 19th April, 1893, when the conveyance was [unclear: signed] and payment made. The estate then became vested in the [unclear: Crown] and was placed under the administration of the Minister of Lands.

Arrangements were at once made to subdivide the property, [unclear: and] lease the grazing-rights to the agricultural lauds for a period of [unclear: sin]

Post and Telegraph Office.

Sheep.

General view of Homestead.

Port Robinson Landing Slip.

Or, at the rate of 3 2/5 per cent, on the purchase-money.

It was also decided that the agricultural portion of the estate, some 30,000 acres, should be at once subdivided into convenient' sized farms, and offered to the public at an early date.

A township has been laid out not far from the homestead, and about 2,000 acres in the vicinity have been cut up into suburban and small-farm lots.

Areas for future disposal have been left at all junctions and key-points for village-sites, and these will be placed in the market from time to time.

A railway-line has been surveyed from the Hurunui Flats to the Waiau, but, although the line is laid off, no liability to construct the railway is involved. It has been laid off thus early in order that the Government may not have to acquire land should it be determined in the future to construct it.

Special care has been taken in laying out the roads. The ruling grade on the main line is 1 in 25; on secondary roads, 1 in 15. The formation width will be from 10ft. to 20ft. Gravel has been found in many places on the estate, and the work of forming and page 4 gravelling the roads is being pushed forward as fast as possible. On the flats the whole of the roads will be gravelled at least 10ft. wide, and it is intended to construct a passable road to each property. The road to the Port is being taken through a bluff of rock, at large expense, in order to avoid the heavy grades on the road which has hitherto been ill use. The roads giving access to the pastoral country will not all be gravelled, but they will all be formed sufficient to provide proper facilities for residence and occupation. For some time to come water-carriage will probably be the chief means of communication, the rates being lower than by rail and road. The distance from the Port to the principal township is seven miles, and it is the same distance from the Port to the Hurunui Flats, where there will be a village settlement. The Homestead Flats are distant nine miles from the Port, and the Waiau Flats twelve miles.

The general character of the country is as follows:—

Wart and Tormore Blocks (Pastoral).—The whole of the country to the northward of Benmore along the western boundary is comprised in the Wart and Tormore Blocks. The area is about 21,200 [unclear: acres,] and consists of low hills and downs, separated generally by easy-faced gullies or valleys. The Gower, and two other large streams, [unclear: however], divide the table-lands, with the advantage that permanent [unclear: water] will in all probability be retained therein. The formation, with [unclear: the] exception of a small area of sandstone and slate, is of limestone [unclear: and] blue-clay (papa). The soil is deep and rich, a large extent [unclear: being] ploughable, and the growth of native and English grasses [unclear: excellent] The whole area is well adapted for occupation by farmers [unclear: and] graziers.

Central Plains (Agricultural).—To the east of the foregoing [unclear: hill] blocks are situated the Waiau, Homestead, and Hurunui Flats [unclear: and] contiguous downs, comprising in all about 30,000 acres of [unclear: arable] lands, standing about 100ft. to 400ft. above sea-level, and already splendidly grassed. The formation consists of blue and sandy [unclear: clay] yellow sandstone, and shelly limestone. This magnificent tract [unclear: on] country is made up in part of alluvial areas, which were [unclear: formerly] swamps, impregnated with washings from the limestone and papa ([unclear: mar] formations. In others the soil appears to be of superior [unclear: character] resting on a good clay subsoil; whilst over a limited area it is [unclear: of] more clayey nature, but apparently only requiring to be [unclear: judicious] worked to prove good cropping land. There are also small [unclear: area] of stony flats and slopes, which, nevertheless, will work in [unclear: advance] tageously with the wetter and low-lying lands. An estimated [unclear: area] about 5,000 acres in the Homestead Block has been laid [unclear: down] English grasses, furnishing proof, notwithstanding the lack of [unclear: drain] page 5 age, of the splendid quality and capabilities of this portion of the estate.

This is the country which will be offered to the public at the first sale in November, 1893.

Seaward Range (Pastoral).—The north-eastern portion of the property consists of a chain of hills, known as the Seaward Range, comprising about 11,450 acres, which extend from the Waiau to the Jed Stream, This chain of hills varies in height from 500ft. to 1,400ft. above sea-level. The tops are fairly broad and even; the western slopes are steep. Towards the eastward the spurs descend and terminate in abrupt faces on the sea-shore, being separated by deep and, in some cases, rough gullies. The formation is sandstone and slate, with a strip of argillaceous limestone. As a rule there is a fair depth of soil on the ridges, but the slopes are more or less rocky or stony. The vegetation consists of tussock and other native grasses, with an occasional admixture of English grasses, with scrub and fern in the gullies, and some bush in the watercourses, but constituting excellent healthy sheep country. This block is well watered.

Port Hills (Pastoral-agricultural).—In the south-eastern part of the estate are the Port Hills, which front the Jed, the sea, and the Hurunui. The block comprises about 8,174 acres of low hills and downs, ranging from 500ft, to 800ft. above sea-level. The formation is principally limestone and blue-clay, with sandstone in places. The tops of the ridges and spurs are mostly flat or rounded, but arc stony on the central area which is intersected by deep valleys and gullies at the head of the Buxton stream. Along the sea, the Hurunui, and Jed are numerous flats and table-lauds, generally of good quality, carrying a splendid growth of English and native grasses, affording good sites for homesteads, and every facility for profitable settlement. The central bills of this area comprise fair and good soil, carrying native and English grasses, with fern and scrub in the gullies. The block, as a whole, is fairly well watered, is well suited in some parts for grazing cattle, and a considerable portion of it could be ploughed. Much has already been done in this respect, and in the laying-down of excellent English grass paddocks.

Benmore Block (Pastoral-agricultural).—The south-western part of the estate comprises the Benmore Hills and spurs; the area is about 12,450 acres, the general elevation above sea-level varies from 400ft. to about 1,750ft. The hills fall rapidly from the vicinity of Benmore, and merge, as a rule, into easy slopes, or flat and round-topped hills towards the east and north; but fall more rapidly by rocky and stony faces into small flats of good quality on the Hurunui and Kaiwara Stream. With the exception of a few narrow spurs and steep and rocky gullies of page 6 sandstone and slate formation, not exceeding probably 3,000 acres in area, the block is of limestone or papa formation, the soil deep and of good quality, and the native and English grasses are [unclear: generally] superior, The Hurunui flats and downs [unclear: are] also generally of good quality and well grassed. Some of the rougher gullies are is scrubby in the bottoms and on the sides, and fern grows on the southern face of the hills. A large percentage of the whole area [unclear: is] capable of being ploughed. The block is fairly well watered.

Climate.—The climate is mild, the rainfall more copious than [unclear: in] many parts of North Canterbury. The falls of snow are light, [unclear: even] on the highest hills.

General Remarks.—As previously stated, the whole property [unclear: is] in first-class order. The plantations on the flats are reserved by [unclear: the] Crown, and will not be disposed of with the adjacent lands. [unclear: Any] clumps of trees situated within any property are not reserved, but [unclear: g] with the property. Buildings and fencing now on the land pass [unclear: with] the land on which they are situated, or, in the case of fencing [unclear: with] the land of which it is the boundary, subject to the rights of [unclear: adjacent] owners, at the price or rent stated.

A detailed description of every section to be offered will be [unclear: found] on pages 37 to 51.