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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Lauriston

Lauriston.

Lauriston is a fine agricultural and sheepfarming district in the Ashburton county, on the Rakaia-Methven line about twelve miles from Rakaia. It has a good school, a post office, and a blacksmith's shop. The district is divided into comparatively extensive farms, on which sheep are fattened and crops are raised with great success. The district was named after Mr. Laurie, one of the early settlers. As elsewhere throughout central Canterbury, the farms are served by a thorough system of water races. Large belts of well grown plantations give partial protection from the fierce page 794 nor'-westers, and add interest to the otherwise monotonous plains.

Farmers.

Dent, Thomas, Farmer, Lauriston. Mr. Dent is the youngest son of the late Mr. James Dent, and succeeded to the paternal property when his father died in 1898. He had previously leased it, and has since inheriting the estate added 1000 acres to its area, which now consists of 2,164 acres. Mr. Dent has been a member of the Lauriston school committee, of the Canterbury and Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Associations, and is chairman of the Taylor Steam Coal Mining Company at Alford Forest. He married Miss Phillips, daughter of the late Mr. James Phillips, long in the service of the Government, and there is a family of two children.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.Mr. and Mrs T. Dent.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Mr. and Mrs T. Dent.

Drummond, Alexander, Farmer, “Rosedale,” Lauriston. Mr. Drummond is the eldest son of Mr. Peter Drummond, of Corwar, and was born in the Oamaru district. He was educated at Rakaia, and learned farming with his father. In 1900 he started farming on his own account on his present property of about 1240 acres. The estate was one of the first selections in the district, and was first owned by Mr. Laurie, of Christchurch. After passing through various hands, it was bought by Mr. Drummond, who grows grain extensively, and breeds a fine class of draught horses for his own use. Oats on “Rosedale” average from thirty-five to fifty-five bushels per acre. Mr. Drummond is a member of the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association.

Standish and Preece, photo.Mr. A. Drummond.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Mr. A. Drummond.

Moore, John, Sheepfarmer, “Oakwood,” Lauriston. Mr. Moore was born in County Antrim, and came to New Zealand by the ship “Waimea” in 1876. He landed at Wellington, but removed to Canterbury shortly afterwards. For two years he was engaged in ploughing for Mr. Cameron, of Springfield, and for fourteen years afterwards was manager of the Winterslaw station. He started farming on his own account at Alford Forest, but three years afterwards, in 1897, he sold out, and took up his present property, which consists of 1300 acres of good land, on which he keeps 1000 sheep; he has about 100 acres each year in turnips and oats, and fattens lambs for freezing. The property is well sheltered with plantations, and there is a convenient homestead, with all necessary outbuildings. Mr. Moore, who was a member of the Alford Forest school committee for several years, is also a member of the Lauriston school committee. He has always taken a great interest in church matters, and is at present a member of the church committee, and is also a member of the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Mr. Moore is married, and has a family of six children.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.Mr. J. Moore.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Mr. J. Moore.

Mrs J. Moore.

Mrs J. Moore.

Stewart, John Donald, Sheep-farmer, Tiptree Farm, Lauriston. Mr. Stewart is a son of Mr. Peter Stewart, of Seaview, formerly of Brookside, where the subject of this article was born in 1868. He first started farming on his own account at Greenstreet, and
Standish and Preece, photo.Mr. and Mrs J. D. Stewart.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Mr. and Mrs J. D. Stewart.

page 795 after working there successfully for nine years, he bought his present estate in 1902. His property comprises 1000 acres, and is within a mile of Lauriston railway station. The dwellinghouse and outbuildings, including implement, shearing and other sheds, are in perfect condition, and are sheltered with well grown plantations. Mr. Stewart keeps 1000 sheep and fattens a similar number of lambs annually, and he also cultivates about 450 acres for wheat, oats, rape and turnips. Two teams are employed on the farm. Mr. Stewart is a member of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association; he is a breeder of good draught horses, and a prizetaker with both gig and saddle horses. He was a member of the Greenstreet school committee for a number of years, and chairman for five, but resigned on his removal to Lauriston. Mr. Stewart served for six years in the Ashburton Rifles, and retired with the rank of sergeant. He married Miss Jamieson, daughter of the later Mr. J. Jamieson, of Beach Road, one of the early colonists, and has two sons and one daughter.

Mr. James Dent, sometime of Lauriston, was born in Lancashire, England, in 1837, and came to Nelson, New Zealand, in 1858. After a short time spent in Nelson, at Greymouth, and on the diggings at Gabriel's Gully, he returned Home and brought out his family, whom he settled at Nelson. He himself went to Greymouth, and was employed as overseer under Mr. Blackett, on road formation work. For four years he was manager of the Brunner mines under the Government, and was afterwards overseer of lighthouses and bridges between Christchurch and Oamaru. In 1871 Mr. Dent retired from the service of the Government, and started farming at Lauriston, on a property of 1164 acres, which he had previously bought, and farmed prosperously until his retirement in 1896, in favour of his sons. He then removed to Ashburton, where he lived until his death in 1898, when he left a widow, five sons and four daughters. All the sons are married, and are prosperous farmers.