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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Farmers

Farmers.

Bourke, Martin, senior, Farmer, West Melton. Mr. Bourke's farm was formerly owned by Mr. George Witty, M.H.R. It consists of 120 acres of good agricultural land, which has been successfully cultivated, and has produced yields of from thirty to seventy bushels of oats, and thirty-five bushels of wheat to the acre. Turnips and rape are also grown for fattening sheep, and Mr. Bourke has devoted some attention to the breeding and raising of pigs. Mr. Bourke was born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1836. He arrived at Port Chalmers, by the ship “Otago,” in 1874, and shortly afterwards, on the opening of the Manuka Creek school, between Milton and Lawrence, was appointed its headmaster. Mr. Bourke was appointed to a similar position, on the opening of the Government school, at Seacliff. Subsequently he took charge of the school at Hunter, South Canterbury, for a short time and was transferred thence to the West Melton school. It was then that Mr. Bourke bought his present property, which he let to a tenant, for a term of ten years. Mr. Bourke afterwards removed to Tananaki, where he opened the school at Tarata. In 1896, on the expiration of his tenant's lease at West Melton, he returned to Canterbury, and took over his property.

Mr. M. Bourke, Senr.

Mr. M. Bourke, Senr.

Bourke, Martin, junior, Farmer, West Melton. Mr. Bourke is the son of Mr. Martin Bourke. He was born at Cork, Ireland, in 1871, and came to the colony with his parents. While the family were in Tananaki he was engaged in commercial purusits at New Plymouth. He returned to West Melton with his father, and has since then managed the affairs of the farm. In the social life of West Welton Mr. Bourke takes a prominent part. He is secretary of the Athletic Sports and Cycling Club, and is also secretary and librarian of the public library. In order to promote concerts and entertainments at West Melton Mr. Bourke formed a small syndicate some time ago, and bought a piano, for the use of which a nominal fee is charged.

Standish and Preece, photo.Mr. M. Bourke, Junr.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Mr. M. Bourke, Junr.

Hill, John, Farmer, West Melton. Mr. Hill was one of the first settlers at West Melton. He was born in Devonshire, England, in 1836. After being educated at South Melton, and at Minehead, in Somersetshire, he came out to New Zealand with his brother, under the charge of Mr. Guise Brittan, in the “Sir George Seymour,” which arrived at Lyttelton in 1850. The brothers had purchased
Standish and Preece, photo.Mr. J. Hill.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Mr. J. Hill.

page 725 from the Canterbury Association, in England, fifty acres of land at Fendalton, and fifty at Papanui, and the purchase carried a town section for each in Christchurch. They farmed the land at Fendalton for some years, and about 1864 removed to West Melton, where they took up separate blocks of 170 acres. Mr. John Hill has resided in the district ever since, and has increased his holding to 1000 arces, which comprises some of the best land at West Melton. Deep wells were formerly sunk to obtain water, but since the establishment of the water race system Mr. Hill has devoted more attention to sheepfarming. For about thirty years he served on the West Melton school committee, and he took a very active part in promoting the erection of the Anglican church, where he has from the first been a lay reader. Mr. Hill married Miss Catherine Lynch, an Irish lady, and has a family of four sons and six daughters.

Rose Villa Farm (J. W. Walker and C. E. Walker, proprietors), West Melton. This farm consists of 774 acres of good agricultural land, and is devoted to mixed farming by the owners, who are sons of its first proprietor, the late Mr. William Walker.

Mr. John Washington Walker, Senior Partner of Rose Villa Farm, and eldest son of the late Mr. William Walker, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1852. He came out with his parents to Lyttelton, where he was brought up and educated. Mr. Walker gained his farming experience at West Melton, and was afterwards in business in Christchurch, as a boot manufacturer, for about eight years. On the death of his father he returned to West Melton, and took over the property, in conjunction with his brother. Mr. Walker was a member of the first cadet corps in Lyttelton, and afterwards of the Lyttelton Artillery. He has been a lieutenant of the Waimakariri Mounted Rifles since the formation of the corps. Mr. Walker was chairman of the West Melton school committee for seven years, and he has been associated with the Orders of the Oddfellows and Druids. He married a daughter of Mr. Murich Meynell, of Christchurch, and has a family of four sons and four daughters.

Mr. Charles E. Walker, Junior Partner of Rose Villa Farm, was born at Bradford, Yorkshire, in 1857, and arrived in New Zealand with his parents during that year. He was brought up on his father's farm, but afterwards started business at West Melton as a storekeeper, and eleven years later joined his brother on the farm. Mr. Walker has served on the West Melton school committee, and holds the rank of quarter-master sergeant in the Waimakariri Mounted Rifles. He married a daughter of Mr. F. H. Trickett, an old resident of West Melton, and has a family of two sons.

Searle, Frederick, Farmer, West Melton. Mr. Searle was born in Cornwall, England, in 1854, and was brought up to farming. He arrived in New Zealand, in 1875, and worked for a year at Waikari, on the Allandale estate, and for a similar period at Dunsandel, on Mr. Hyman Marks' property. Mr. Searle then engaged in cropping, threshing, and contracting, first at Highbank, and later at Rakaia, and on Sir John Hall's estate at Hororata. He next went to West Melton, and leased a farm of 105 acres, which he afterwards purchased, and has since increased his freehold area to 333 acres. The land is of good quality, and has been successfully worked. Mr. Searle also owns another farm of 150 acres at Russell's Flat, and works it in conjunction with his West Melton property. Of late years he has turned his attention to dealing in sheep and cattle, and is a familiar figure at the Addington and other saleyards. Mr. Searle helped to promote the West Melton Saleyards Company, and has from the first been on the directorate. He was married, in the Old Country, to a daughter of Mr. Thomas Webb, of his native place. Mrs Searle accompanied her husband to the colony, and has shared in his many vicissitudes. They have a surviving family of four sons and seven daughters, and three grandchildren.

Mr. and Mrs F. Searle.

Mr. and Mrs F. Searle.

Squire, Charles, Farmer, “Salop Downs,” West Melton. Mr. Squire was born in Cornwall, England, in 1863, and came out to New Zealand in 1877, by the ship “Waitangi,” He first went to Timaru and devoted himself to farming with his brother. After a year or two he started contracting, and in 1885 took a farm at Gapes' Valley. He sold out in 1897, and in February, 1898,bought 750 acres at West Melton. While at Gapes' Valley Mr. Squire was for many years on the school committee. He married Miss Bowcher, grand-daughter of Mr. William Gapes, of Gapes' Valley, and has two children.

Mr. C. Squire.

Mr. C. Squire.

Watson, George, Farmer, Melton Hills Farm, West Melton. Mr. Watson is a son of an early settler, Mr. William Morgan Watson, who arrived at Lyttelton, by the ship “Cashmere,” in 1855. Mr. Watson, senior, was with Mr. Bray, at Avonhead, for a year or two, after which he settled at Spreydon, where he farmed for a number of years. For the last ten years of his life he lived in retirement at Fendalton, and took an active interest in page 726 the affairs of the Durham Street Wesleyan Church. He died in 1898, at the age of sixty-nine years, leaving a family of five sons and five daughters. Mr. George Watson was born at Hull, Yorkshire, and was one year old when his parents arrived in New Zealand. After learning farming at Spreydon, under his father, he went to West Melton, in 1870, and took up seventy acres of land. He successfully worked his holding, and gradually increased it to its present area of 1100 acres. Practically, all this land, which is of better quality than the average of the district, has been under crop. Mr. Watson has been a member of the Courtenay Road Board for about twelve years, and has served for over twenty years on the West Melton school committee, of which he is at present (1903) chairman. He is also chairman of directors of the West Melton Saleyards Company, and has been a churchwarden in connection with the local Anglican church. Mr. Watson married a daughter of Mr. John Hill, one of the first settlers of West Melton, and has two sons and three daughters.

The late Mr. W. M. Watson.

The late Mr. W. M. Watson.

Standish and Preece, photo.Mr. G. Watson.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Mr. G. Watson.

Mr. William Walker was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1813. He came out to New Zealand in 1857, by the ship “Zealandia,” and landed at Lyttelton, where, shortly afterwards, he started in business as a bootmaker. Mr. Walker successfully carried on his trade until 1870, when his property was destroyed by the great fire of Lyttelton. Thereupon he removed to West Melton, where he had previously bought land, and resided on his property, Rose Villa Farm, up to the date of his death in 1893. While residing in Lyttelton Mr. Walker was captain of the Lyttelton Volunteer Artillery for some years, and he also served on the Lyttelton Borough Council. He left a family of four sons and three daughters.