Hawarden is a district which originally formed part of the Glenmark estate, and was surveyed into a township of from five to ten acre sections. It has a flag railway station on the northern line, fifty-three miles from Christchurch, and stands 873 feet above the level of the sea. There are three stores, two blacksmiths' shops, and a boardinghouse in the village. There is also a public hall, and the Roman Catholic church and presbytery are new and prominent buildings in the settlement. Sheep farming is the occupation of the settlers in the vicinity. The settlement is in the Waipara riding of the Ashley county, and at the census of 1901 had a population of sixty-six, inhabitants.

The Hawarden Post Office was established in 1886. Mails are received and despatched every day, and the office is connected by telephone with Waikari. The business of the department is conducted at the store of Mr. John O'Carroll.

Mr. John O'Carroll, Postmaster at Hawarden, was born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1853. He arrived in Lyttelton, by the ship “Hereford,” in 1876, and settled in the Hawarden district in 1880. In that year he established the store, which he has since conducted. Mr. O'Carroll was married, in 1883, to a daughter of Mr. T. Dowd, of County Kerry, and has seven sons and two daughters.

The Hawarden Parish of the Roman Catholic Church extends from the Ashley to the Conway rivers, and is about 100 miles across. It was formerly included in the Rangiora parish. Besides the Hawarden church, there are churches at Waiau, Brackenfield, and Cheviot; and services are held periodically at Stonyhurst and Hanmer. A site has been selected at Hanmer Springs, where it is intended to build another church. The presbytery, which was built in 1900, is a handsome residence of nine rooms, and stands in ornamental grounds on part of a section of ten acres. St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church, Hawarden, was originally erected in 1886, and was enlarged in 1900. It is built of wood and shingles, and, including the gallery, has accommodation for 200 persons.

The Rev. Thomas Walter Price, Priest in Charge of the Hawarden Parish, was born in 1873, in Warwickshire, England, He was educated at Erdington and Cotton Hall, in Staffordshire, and at Brussels, in Belgium. Father Price was ordained at Clifton in 1896, and officiated for a short time in London and Leeds. In February, 1899, he landed at Lyttelton, in the s.s. page 584 “Rakaia.” After a year as assistant priest at Rangiora, he was appointed to the charge of Hawarden parish in 1900.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Rev. T. W. Price.

Mr. William H. Dodderidge, Manager of the Roman Catholic Presbytery at Hawarden, was born in 1862, in Somersetshire, England, where he received his education He was brought up on his fathers farm, and in 1884 went to London where he was employed in a variety of ways. In 1900 he arrived in New Zealand, and settled at Hawarden, where he has been prominent in musical circles. He has charge of the presbytery of St. Raphael's Roman Catholic church, for which he acts as choirmaster, and very often as organist. Mr. Dodderidge was married, in April, 1902, to a daughter of Mr. James Durham, of Newport, Monmouthshire, England.

Cox, Joseph William Mason, Butcher and Farmer. Hawarden. Mr. Cox was born at St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1838. He was brought up to mercantile life in Scotland, and came to Lyttelton by the ship “Regina” in 1859. He was employed for three years by Mr. J. S. Caverhill, at Hawkeswood station, and for three years afterwards was a shepherd at Brcomfield. Subsequently he was manager of Waipapa station for a year; and afterwards of “Teviotdale,” till that estate was sold to Mr. G. D. Greenwood. Mr Cox was for five years proprietor of the hotel at Weka Pass, and during the same time he held the position of Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. He then commenced butchering at Weka Pass, and supplied the men engaged in the construction of the railway. In 1883 he removed to Hawarden, where he has since conducted his present business, of which for ten years he had a branch at Rotherham. Mr. Cox owns twenty acres at Hawarden, and 240 acres at Weka Pass. He has served on the Mason's Flat and Rotherham school committees, and took a very active part in the establishment of the Hawarden Saleyards Company, of which he has been secretary since 1899. Mr. Cox takes a keen interest in politics, and at every election he actively and warmly supports the Liberal candidates. He was married, in 1867, to a daughter of the late Mr. C. Fitzpatrick, and has three sons and three daughters. Mr. Fitzpatrick was a farmer in the Balcairn district of Canterbury, from 1861 to the time of his death, and came from County Tyrone, Ireland.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Mr. J. W. M. Cox.

North Canterbury Co-Operative Stores, Ltd. (Hawarden Brarch), Hawarden This branch was established in February 1902, and its buildings, with a zesidence for the manager, have been erected on a corner section of half an acre, in the centre of the township. A large stock of groceries and farmers' requisites is maintained at the establishment, and the business is steadily advancing.

Mr. Alfred James Beaven, Manager, was born in Wiltshire, England, in 1864. He was educated at the Collegiate school, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, and waa brought up to mercantile life in Cardiff, where he worked for four years. For five years afterwards he resided at Newbury, and came out to New Zealand, via Australia, in 1889. For the first two years Mr. Beaven farmed near Amberley, after which he joined the firm of Vaughan and Co. at Waikari, and finally became manager of the business. Mr. Beaven was engaged at Sefton with Messrs J. Brown and Co. for four years and a half, and left that firm to open the Hawarden branch of tlfe North Canterbury Co-operative Stores. Limited. For five years before coming to New Zealand he served in the First Berkshire Volunteers.

Mr. A. J. Beaven.

McFarlane, Duncan, Farmer, “Loch Sloy,” Hawarden. Mr. McFarlane was born in the west of Stirlingshire, where he was brought up to pastoral pursuits. He subsequently entered into business in Glasgow, but later on went to sea as steward on board one of the Swift line, visiting many parts of the world. Mr. McFarlane is descended from the oldest branch of his clan, and traces back his lineage to the house of Lennox. He came to the Colony in the ship “Canterbury” in 1874 and became head shepherd at White Rock, which at that time comprised 47,000 acres. Subsequently, he acted in the same capacity at Horsley Down, a property of over 100,000 acres. He afterwards succeeded to the management of Hawkswood, 42,000 acres in extent, where he remained for twelve years. After a tour through the Colony, Mr. McFarlane took to the hotel business and became proprietor of the Culverden Hotel, on relinquishing which he took up his present farm. Mr. McFarlane was one of the chief promoters of the Hawarden Saleyards Company, of which he is a director; he is also a director of the North Canterbury Caledonian Society, a member of the Waikari Collie Dog Club, North Canterbury Steeplechase Club, and Amuri Turf Club. He was married in 1885 to Miss Deem, and has one son.

Mr. D. McFarlane.

Taruna Estate is the property of Messrs J. O. Sanderson and Co. It was bought in 1896, comprises 4098 acres, and was originally part of the Horsley Down run. The present owners have made many improvements, including a cottage surrounded by a promising plantation of useful and ornamental trees, an orchard, a garden, and sheep yards, and nineteen miles of substantial wire fencing. The estate carries 3300 half-bred sheep, and a large number of fat lambs are annually available for the export trade.

Mr. J. O. Sanderson was born in 1871, at Greta Peaks run, Motunau, Canterbury, and educated at Christ's College, Christchurch. He served in the office of Messrs Miles and Co. for over two years. Mr. Sanderson is a son of the late Mr. Thomas Sanderson, who, in conjunction with Mr. Studholme, purchased the Greta Peaks run of 25,000 acres from Messrs Clifford and Weld in 1865.

Tomlinson, Henry, Farmer and Accommodation House Proprietor, Gladstone House, Hawarden. Mr. Tomlinson was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1844, and worked on his father's farm, until he emigrated to New Zealand in 1874, by the ship “Geraldine Paget.” He was manager for Mr. P. C. Threlkeld at West Eyreton for sixteen years. For a short time he was farming on his own account at Papanui, and subsequently was manager of Mr. Nalder's property, at Woodside, for three years. Mr. Tomlinson then removed to Winchester, and was unsettled for some months, until December, 1897, when he acquired a property of 251 acres at Hawarden. Gladstone House is a commodious residence, and is very convenient in every respect for visitors. Mr. Tomlinson served as a member of the Gapes' Valley school committee, and is now a director of the Hawarden Saleyards Co. He was married, in 1870, to a daughter of Mr. Charles Kendle, of Irby, Lincolnshire, England, and has three daughters and two sons.

The late Mr. M. J. Hoban and Mrs Hoban

Mr. Michael Joseph Hoban, some time of Silverstream Farm, Hawarden, was born in County Mayo, Ireland, in 1848, but was educated in Scotland, to which he had gone with his parents. While on his way to New Zealand in the ship “Victoria Tower,” the vessel was wrecked at Cape Otway. After a short stay in Victoria, he came to Lyttelton, in 1869, and engaged in shepherding for four years in various parts of the Oxford district. Later, he bought ninety-four acres, on part of which his family's residence stands, and in 1885, purchased 396 acres of freehold on the Horsley Down estate. In 1886 he bought a further area of 458 acres on Horsley Down, but sold it in 1897 to Mr. M. J. Burke, of Waitohi Peaks. He afterwards bought 404 acres close to his residence, and also 143 acres in Waikari township. Mr. Hoban was married, in 1877, to a daughter of Mr. George E. Mason, of Mason's Flat, and had four sons and five daughters. He died on the 5th of January, 1903.

Mr. James Little, formerly of the “Allandale Estate,” Hawarden, was born in Midlothian, Scotland, was educated in Peebles-shire, and was brought up to a pastoral life. He came to the Colony in the ship “Canterbury” under engagement to the late Dr. Webster, of Corriedale, Otago, for whom he brought out a number of Romney Marsh sheep. Mr. Little is the originator of the Corriedale breed, having begun experimenting in that direction when manager of the Corriedale estate. After taking possession of “Allandale” in 1879, Mr. Little continued his experiments, and became most successful. The Corriedale sheep are found to be stronger in constitution than, and withstand the winter equally as well as, the Merino, while possessing more flesh in proportion to fat than the long-wools. Mr. Little established an English Leicester stud flock in 1892 and afterwards added some of the best stock procurable. As an exhibitor, he gained a very creditable collection of prizes, having won, prior to 1898, five champions, seventeen first, twenty-two second, and fourteen third prizes. In 1899 the proprietors of Gibb's Dipping Fluid presented a thirty guinea cup to be given to the largest prizetaker for English Leicesters exhibited at the Canterbury Metropolitan Show. The cup had to be won two years in succession, and Mr. Little's sheep, besides taking three champion gold medals, won the cup straight out the first two years he was out for competition. The Ayrshire herd at “Allandale” was too well known at the Canterbury and northern shows to need any comment in this article. In public affairs, Mr. Little was a member of the Hurunui Rabbit Board for two terms, chairman of the School Committee and a member of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. He was married in 1864 to Miss Telford, and has one son and five daughters. Mr. Little sold all his stock in February, 1903, at the expiration of his lease of “Allandale.”

Mr. J. Little.