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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Hororata

Hororata.

Hororata is an extensive and fertile farming district, about four miles south of Coalgate, the nearest railway station. The earliest settlers included the late Mr. John Cordy, the Messrs Studholme, Mr. S. Bealey, and Sir John Hall. There is a prosperous and attractive appearance about Hororata; the roads are unusually good and are well kept; and the Hororata river, a fine trout stream, meanders its way through rich pastures, and is overhung in many places by the foliage of willows. Most of the land has been long taken up, and some of the holdings are very extensive, such as those of Sir John Hall, Messrs Bealey Brothers, and Mr. Saville. Sheep grazing and crop growing are carried on with considerable success, and cattle also are raised. Hororata has a racecourse, an entertainment room, and a public library. The district also has a hotel, two churches—English and Presbyterian—a public school, a town hall, two or
Arthur's Pass.

Arthur's Pass.

page 751 three general stores and a blacksmith's shop. Hororata has a daily mail service with Christchurch, via Coalgate, and there is a post and telegraph office at one of the local stores.

The Hororata Hotel, Hororata. This hotel is situated in the centre of the district, about four miles from the Coalgate railway station, and stands back a few yards from the main road, on a block of fertile land, seventeen acres in area, lying between the Hororata river and the main road. It was built of wood in the early eighties by a local tradesman, and is two stories in height. The rooms are large and lofty, and there are several private sitting rooms, and a spacious commercial room, in addition to a large number of bedrooms, the dining room, and the private rooms of the proprietor and his servants. The management of the hotel reflects credit upon the proprietor, who exercises every care on behalf of visitors. Only wines of the very best quality are kept, and the table is well catered for. The hotel is almost entirely surrounded by tall pines, and the crescent-shaped road way by which it is approached from the main road, gives it a pleasing appearance.

Hororata Hotel.

Hororata Hotel.

Mr. Patrick Crowe, Proprietor of the Hororata Hotel, was born in 1875, at Killinchy, Canterbury. He was educated at the public school there, and was afterwards engaged for a time at farm work in the neighbourhood. Later on he went to the North Island, where for two years he worked in the Wellington and Hawke's Bay provinces. He then returned to Canterbury, and found employment for five years at “Highbank,” which he left in 1902 to take charge of the Hororata Hotel. Mr. Crowe was married, in 1897, to Miss Mary O'Reilly, of Rakaia, and has five children.

Farmers.

Cordy, James, Farmer, Hororata. Mr. Cordy is the eldest
Mr. J. Cordy.

Mr. J. Cordy.

son of the late Mr. John Cordy, Hororata Station, and farms 400 acres of land at Hororata. He married Miss Richards, daughter of Dr. Richards, one of the Canterbury pilgrims, and has three daughters.
The late Mr. J. Cordy.

The late Mr. J. Cordy.

Derritt, Edwin, Farmer, Springbank, Hororata. Mr. Derritt was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1836, and past his early years on his father's farm. He subsequently took to sawing, which he followed for a few years. Mr. Derritt came to New Zealand in 1852, and settled at Hororata, when the land he took up was covered with flax and water. After the land was reclaimed it was used for fattening cattle for the West Coast trade, but Mr. Derritt now raises wool and mutton for export, and a
Mr. E. Derritt.

Mr. E. Derritt.

page 752 large number of lambs are annually available for this purpose. The property consists of 760 acres, and the improvements include a two-storey dwellinghouse. Mr. Derritt established the first accommodation house in the district at a time when there was not a neighbour within miles of him, but the house was well patronised by travellers passing to and from the West Coast. He was married, in 1861, to Miss Tisch, and has a family of sons and daughters.

Hartnell, John, Farmer, Hororata. Mr. Hartnell was born in Somersetshire, England, on the 9th of June, 1843, and was educated at Wellington Academy. He passed his early years on his father's farm and in butchering, and came to New Zealand in the ship “John Temperly,” in 1866. The first land he purchased in the Colony consisted of fifty acres, part of Lord Lyttelton's property, and he paid £4 an acre for it. He has since increased his area to 1400 acres. Mr. Hartnell devotes himself chiefly to sheepfarming and he prefers Shropshire crosses in breeding for the export meat trade. In the early days Mr. Hartnell went in extensively for contract cropping and ploughing, and carting on the roads to and from the sheep stations, etc. He is a member of the Hororata school committee and of the racing club, and his own colours have been carried to the front. Mr. Hartnell was married, on the 28th of March, 1870, to Miss Mitchell, and has three sons and five daughters.

Hororata Station. This property is held by the trustees of the late Mr. John Cordy. It was originally taken up by Messrs Aylmer and Percival about 1851, when it was stocked with Merino sheep from Australia. The run at that time comprised 10,000 acres of leasehold land, and now the property consists of about 4000 acres of freehold and 7000 leasehold. Mr. John Cordy purchased the run about 1858. In 1894 the English Leicester was introduced, in consequence of the demand for coarse wool and halfbred sheep for the frozen meat trade. Mr. Cordy was born in 1805, in Suffolk, England, came out to the Colony in the ship “Travencore,” and landed on the 31st of March, 1851, with his wife, three sons and two daughters. He took up land on the Port Hills, but afterwards removed to Home Bush, and, later on, to Hororata, where he died on the 10th of October, 1886.

Mr. W. R. G. Hayward, Manager of Hororata Station, was born in 1865, in Leeds, Yorkshire. He came to New Zealand in the ship “Cuzco,” in 1881, and served as a cadet with Mr. T. Upton and at Sherwood. Mr. Hayward was appointed to his present position in September, 1891.

Napier, T., Farmer, Hororata. Mr. Napier was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1840, and was brought up as a carpenter. He came to New Zealand in the ship “Mermaid,” Captain Rose, in 1865, and followed his trade for over ten years, when he took up the first hotel in Hororata. The present hotel there was built by him in 1882, and he conducted the business till 1898, when he sold it. Mr. Napier is a keen sportsman, and took an active part in forming the Hororata cricket, football, racing, and bicycle clubs. He is an energetic member of various friendly societies. As an Oddfellow he has passed all the chairs that could be allotted to him in the Southern Hemisphere, and has been presented with a gold medal and a tea and coffee set for meritorious services to the order. He was married, in 1865, to Miss Kendren, and has two sons and two daughters.

Mr. T. Napier.

Mr. T. Napier.

Oliver, W., Farmer, “Springhead,” Hororata. Mr. Oliver was born in Kent, England, and brought up and educated in London. He came to New Zealand in 1857, in the ship “Glentanner.” His first land was taken up in 1860, when it was covered with tussock, flax, toi-toi, and raupo, but after a good deal of hard work he was successful in bringing his farm under cultivation. Mr. Oliver began carting wool, etc., into Christchurch in 1861, at a time when there were no roads, and only a few cuttings as a means of entering and coming out from the rivers and gullies. He continued carting till the advent of the traction engine reduced the
Mr. W. Oliver.

Mr. W. Oliver.

Mrs W. Oliver

Mrs W. Oliver

page 753 charges to an unprofitable rate. He was the first to cross the Wilberforce river with a team of horses. Mr. Oliver now gives his undivided attention to the working of his property of 431 acres, which is divided by substantial fences into convenient-sized paddocks, and he carries on mixed farming. The improvements include a good dwellinghouse, a twelve-stalled stable, other outbuildings, a garden and an orchard. In illustration of the expenses which had to be faced by the early colonists, it may be stated that he had to pay £75 a head for horses. Mr. Oliver is a member of the local school committee, racing club and sports committee. He was married, in 1855, to Miss Wagstaff (who died about 1896), and has one son and three daughters.

Hororata Estate, in the county of Selwyn, is owned by Sir John Hall, sometime Premier of New Zealand. A long article on Sir John appears at pages 63 and 64 of the Wellington volume of this Cyclopedia. Hororata estate was selected at an early stage in the settlement of Canterbury, and has been systematically improved in every way likely to add to its practical value as a property. Some of the land is let to tenants, and the rest used, chiefly for pastoral purposes, by Sir John Hall himself, who keeps, off and on, about 30,000 sheep. The estate is at present (1903) managed by Mr. Duncan Fraser.

Mr. Duncan Fraser, Manager of Sir John Hall's estate, was born near Ballarat, Victoria, in 1864. He came to New Zealand with his parents in 1868, and was educated at the Lower Shotover, near Frankton, Otago. In early youth he served under his father, with whom he gained valuable experience, and he was afterwards on some of the best runs in the North Island and Middle Island. He was appointed manager of one of the National Mortgage and Agency Company's stations in the Chatham Islands, and held the position till the run was sold. On returning to the mainland he was appointed manager of a station in the Upper Waiau, and only left when he received his appointment as manager of the Brabazon estate, Aylesbury, in 1895. Mr. Fraser has always taken an active part in the collie dog trials, and has acted as judge on several occasions. At a recent Christchurch dog trial he competed with his black and brindle dog “Rock,” and on the second day won the first prize for heading and bringing back. Mr. Fraser was married, in 1892, to Miss McLeod, and has one son.

Mr. and Mrs D Fraser.

Mr. and Mrs D Fraser.