Halswell is within three miles of the Prebbleton railway station on the Christchurch-Southbridge line. It is a fine farming and dairying district, and is especially noted for its large crops of first-rate potatoes. The township has a good store, a bacon factory, and a good hotel, which is much patronised by cyclists. There is also a public school, and a handsome English church. The district is traversed by well kept roads, particularly good for cycling. This applies especially to the road to Tai Tapu, past Lansdowne, between the Port Hills and the Halswell river.

Halswell Road Board. The members of this Board are: Mr Charles Lewis (chairman), and Messrs R. H. Rhodes, C. P. Hugonin, F. W. Quaife, and W. Henderson, junior; with Mr. C. W. Comer, secretary and surveyor.

Mr. C. W. Comer, Secretary and Surveyor of the Halswell Road Board, was born in Devonshire, England, and came to New Zealand in 1861, landing at Auckland. He came to Canterbury in 1866, and started farming on the Lincoln Road. For several years he was engaged in large contracts around Christchurch, and received his present appointment in 1877. Mr. Comer carries on farming, in addition to his road board duty. He is a progressive colonist, and has always identified himself with the general welfare of his district. Since 1875 he has been a member of the Spreydon school committee, and is also a member of the Spreydon Road Board. He is a Freemason, unattached.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Mr. C. W. Comer.

St. Mary's Church, Halswell. St. Mary's is a wooden building, which was erected in 1863. It has accommodation for about one hundred worshippers, possesses a fine organ, and has a very good choir. The church stands in well-planted grounds, and is approached through a lych-gate, which was erected to the memory of the late Mr. Bedell. The plate used in the service of St. Mary's was presented by the old Canterbury Association. St. Paul's church, Tai Tapu, and St. Mark's church, Greenpark, both wooden buildings, belong to the parochial district of Halswell, and weekly services are held at both. There is a handsome new vicarage adjoining St. Mary's church, Halswell, and the whole property is all but clear of debt.

The Rev. Henry Williams, M.A., Vicar of Halswell, is the eldest son of the Rev. Henry Williams, Vicar of St. Albans, page 665 and was born in Cookfield, Suffolk, England, in 1871. He accompanied his parents to New Zealand in 1879, and was educated at Christ's College and Canterbury College. Mr. Williams passed the fourth grade of the Board of Theological studies in 1897, took his B.A. degree in 1895, his M.A. in 1896; was ordained deacon in 1895, and priest in 1896 by the Bishop of Christchurch. He was curate of Riccarton and Halswell from 1895 till 1898, and on the formation of Halswell into a parochial district in 1898 he was appointed vicar. Mr. Williams is also Anglican chaplain of the Sunnyside Asylum. He married Miss Thorpe, daughter of Archdeacon Thorpe.

The Lych Gate, St. Mary's, Halswell.

The Halswell Bacon Factory (F. W. Quaife, proprietor), Halswell. This factory, of which Mr. F. W. Quaife is the proprietor, was established in 1883 with the most modern machinery obtainable. It has a yearly output of about 2000 grain fed pigs. and its cure has a reputation for its great excellence throughout Australasia, as well as New Zealand. At the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, held in 1889 and 1890, the Halswell hams and bacon won four gold medals against a large number of competitors. The factory's exhibits have also obtained numerous first prizes at various agricultural and pastoral shows.

Mr. F. W. Quaife, Proprietor of the Halswell Bacon Factory, is descended from an old Buckinghamshire family. He was born in 1854 at Ballington, Essex, and educated at the High School, bedford. In 1870 he left home for Canada, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits till 1874, when he returned to England after travelling all over the United States, and visiting the principal cities and towns. The same year he left home for Melbourne, where he engaged himself to Messrs Kitchen and Co., soap and candle manufactures, and under his supervision the firm soon began to turn out, in lieu of a few hundred, 4000 boxes of candles a week. On returning to England in 1877 Mr. Quaife became a partner in Messrs Edgar Mann and Co.'s candle and soap works at Sudbury, Suffolk, but in 1880, deciding to settle in New Zealand, he dissolved partnership, and, procuring a large quantity of the most modern machinery, established a soap and candle factory at the Rakaia, Canterbury. He relinquished this business in 1883, and opened his present curing factory at Halswell. Mr. Quaife has been chairman of the Halswell school committee for the last four years; he has also been chairman of the Road Board, and of the Halswell Domain Board on several occasions, and has been connected with these bodies for the past ten years. In 1874 he was married to Miss Billington Barcock, of Perry Hill Farm, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England, and has now a family of four sons and three daughters, the eldest son being manager of his father's farm of 400 acres at Ngapara, near Oamaru.

Mr. F. W. Quaife.

Mrs F. W. Quaife.

Henderson, William, “Creekside,” Halswell. Mr. Henderson is fourth son of the late Mr. William Henderson, of Spreydon, and was born at Syydenham, Christchurch, in 1876. He was educated in the city, brought up to farming, and carries on dairy farming at “Creekside,” Halswell. Mr. Henderson has always shown a keen interest in the general affairs of his district, and was elected to the Halswell Road Board to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the late Mr. Garforth. He is also a member of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Mr. Henderson was married, in 1895, to Miss Boag, daughter of Mr. William Boag, of Fendalton, and has two children.

“Lansdowne,” Halswell. This property was bought by the late Mr. William Birdling, in 1896, and was managed for him by his son, Mr. Arthur Birdling.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Mr. W. Henderson, Junr,

Mr. Arthur Birdling, fifth son of the late Mr. William Birdling, founder of Birdling's Flat estate, was born at Birdling's Flat in 1863. He was educated at Akaroa, afterwards spent three years at the Agricultural College at Lincoln, and helped to manage the estate on Birdling's Flat until he settled at “Lansdowne” in 1896. Like his late father, he is a well-known and successful breeder of stock. He married Miss E. Callaghan, of Akaroa, and two sons and one daughter have been born of the union.

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

Sheehan, John, Farmer, Halswell. Mr. Sheehan is a son of the late Mr. Martin Sheehan of Shand's Track, who died in 1899. He was born at Nenagh, Tipperary, Ireland, in 1850, accompanied his parents to Victoria in 1852 and returned with them to Ireland after a three years' stay in Australia. In 1860 he accompanied his parents to New Zealand, in the ship “Clontarf,” which landed at Lyttelton. After attending school in Christchurch, he started at an early age to make his own living. At first he drove a team of horses for the late Mr. Peter Clinton, and afterwards worked at a threshing machine for seven years. Mr. Sheehan then began farming on his own account, and for twenty-seven years carried on successfully at Tai Tapu. In 1899 he took his present farm, which consists of 160 acres of rich fertile land, on which he conducts a system of mixed farming and dairying. Mr. Sheehan is a member of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and is well known as a breeder and prize-taker at the shows in connection with carriage, blood and draught horses. He has been twice married; firstly, to Miss Doyle, by whom there was a family of five children, and, secondly, to Miss Flynn, who has borne him two sons and five daughters.

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

Spreydon Lodge (T. H. Candy, proprietor), near Halswell. The history of this property dates back to the early days of settlement. It was originally taken up by the late William Sefton Moorhouse, second Superintendent of Canterbury, who resided on the estate for several years. Afterwards it was held by Mr. William Pine, and, later on, by Mr. Garforth, and was entered by Mr. Candy, as lessee, in the early part of 1902. “Spreydon Lodge” contains 230 acres of rich agricultural land, and is highly improved. Dairying is carried on extensively, and about eighty-five cows are milked constantly upon the property. A fine residence, the oldest part of which was built by Mr. Moorhouse, stands close to the main road, between Christchurch and Halswell, and the surrounding grounds are laid out in excellent taste.

Mr. Thomas Herbert Candy, Proprietor of “Spreydon Lodge,” is the fourth son of Mr. C. B. Candy. He was born in 1866, at Halswell, educated at the local public school, and afterwards trained to dairy farming under his father, with whom he continued to work till 1895. In that year he took over the property formerly held by his father, and continued cheese making until 1902, when he removed to “Spreydon Lodge.” Mr. Candy was married in 1895 to Miss E. C. Thomas, of Christchurch, and has three children.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Mr. T. H. Candy.

Smith, John, Farmer, Halswell. Mr. Smith was born at Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim Ireland, in 1837. He left home in 1863, and landed at Lyttelton in January, 1864, by the ship “Tiptree.” After harvesting for a short time at Rangiora, he was employed for one year with Mr. Armstrong, immigration agent, who then resided at Riccarton. For three years later he was employed by the late Mr. Michael John Burke, who then owned what was known as the Halswell station, which was afterwards leased to Mr. Bell, with whom Mr. Smith remained for six years. In 1875 Mr. Smith purchased about fifty acres of his present farm, which now consists of one hundred acres of some of the finest land in the district, and has a handsome villa residence, and a fine set of farm buildings. During his long residence in the district Mr. Smith has refrained from entering public life, but has devoted his energies to the improvement of his property. He was married previous to his departure from Ireland, but has no children.

The Late Mr. W. Birdling.

Mr. William Birdling, sometime of “Lansdowne,” Halswell, was a very old and prominent colonist, who arrived in New Zealand by the ship “London” in 1842. He was born in Frome, Somersetshire, England, in 1822, and brought up to farming. At the age of twenty he left home to seek fortune in the distant and then little-known colony of New Zealand, and when he landed at Wellington in 1842, that town consisted of only a few huts. By that time, however, the brothers Rhodes had established themselves in the infant colony, and the young colonist engaged with the late Mr. Bernard Rhodes to look after the cattle and other interests of his property on the Akaora Peninsula. There he settled in 1842, when he and the late Mr. George Rhodes were, apart from whalers and Maoris, the only inhabitants in the whole district. Wages were not high in those days, and during the first two years Mr. Birdling was paid at the rate of only twenty pounds a year. He remained for ten years with Messrs Rhodes, in looking after their cattle on the Peninsula. In 1852, when, by great self-denial and hard work he had got together a considerable sum of money, Mr. Birdling purchased the first portion of the fine estate now so well known as Birdling's Flat, near Little River. At first he bought only a small area, but the estate now consists of about 5,000 acres of the choicest and richest land in the district. On this property, as it was increased from time to time, work that was never given up, but was extremely hard and almost herculean, had to be done and was done by Mr Birdling and his family, in order to convert the wilderness of tussock, flax and swamp, into its present state of high cultivation and settled workableness. Mr. Birdling's first house belonged to the order of page 668 architecture known as wattle-and-daub, which seldom if ever provided for more than one storey, never many rooms, only a thatched roof, and walls made of rough upright posts, interlaced with branches, or saplings, or palings, and filled in and built up with clay mixed with chopped grass, and made cohesive and adhesive by being watered and worked to the necessary consistency. Primitive houses thus made were never classic in outline, but they were sometimes picturesque outside, and generally comfortable enough within. About the year 1877 Mr. Birdling retired from the active management of the Birdling's Flat estate in favour of his sons, and for fourteen years he farmed at Duvauchelle's Bay, and for five years subsequently at Shirley. In 1896 he bought “Lansdowne,” at Halswell, where, after a long and very active life, he enjoyed his well-earned ease. Mr. Birdling never took any active part in public affairs, although for a number of years he was a member of the Little River Road Board. When pressed by his many friends to contest the Parliamentary seat of Akaroa, he found that, owing to the many calls on his time, he would be unable to devote the necessary attention to such an important position. In the days of his activity Mr. Birdling was recognised as a thorough judge of cattle, and his own well-known breed of Shorthorns commanded the highest prices at the Addington sales. He also had a high reputation as a breeder of draught and carriage horses. Mr. Birdling was married, in 1842, to Miss Jane Laveridge, of New Plymouth, and when she died in 1900 she left a family of seven sons and one daughter. Miss Birdling married Mr. James Rule, of Spreydon. Mr. Birdling himself died at “Lansdowne” on the 22nd of May, 1902.

Mr. Charles Benjamin Candy, formerly of Halswell, has been well known in connection with the important industry of cheese making. For many years in succession he was the chief prizewinner for cheese at the Canterbury Metropolitan Show, at which, on some occasions, he gained all three prizes. In 1886 he won the first prize for cheese at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition held in London. Mr. Candy is the eldest son of the late Mr. Thomas Candy, farmer, of Somersetshire, England. He was born in 1825, educated at a well known college, in Bath, and afterwards trained to farm work under his father. In 1855 he took up land at Mumbles, near Swansea, in South Wales, and farmed there until 1860, when he sailed by the ship “John Lawson,” for New Zealand. On landing at Lyttelton he tramped his way over the Port Hills to Christchurch, and was engaged there for a few months at agricultural work near where Ward's Brewery now stands. Shortly afterwards he became manager of a large station in Central Otago, and held the position for four years and a half. At the end of that time he returned to Canterbury, where he had a farm near Lake Ellesmere, and carried on mixed farming for about four years. He then took up property at Halswell, and commenced dairy farming, which he carried on with great success until 1896. In that year he disposed of his property, and has since lived in retirement on the South Belt, Christchurch. Mr. Candy was married, in 1855, to Miss Saxby, of Exeter, and has six sons and one daughter.

Mr. C. B. Candy.

Mr. John Ferguson, J.P., Melrose, Halswell, was born at Liscansey, near Cookstown, in the county of Tyrone, Ireland, in 1830. He was brought up to farming, and had special experience with cattle. When about seventeen years of age he went to America where he remained five years, two years in New York, and three years in the state of Ohio, where he was engaged principally in carting produce to Dusky City at Lake Erie. Ill health compelled him to return home, where he settled down for five years. About 1858 his desire to travel again overcame him, and in that year he landed in Melbourne in Australia. On leaving town he shouldered his swag, walked to Bendigo, and tried his fortune at gold-seeking for twelve months, without success. He then for a time followed the less exciting pursuit of dairying at Castlemaine, but on the breaking-out of the Otago diggings, in 1861, he left Melbourne by the “Greyhound” for Dunedin. He tramped it to Queenstown, with an eighty-pound swag on his back, and for a short time did comparatively well at the Moa Creek diggings. At that time a reward was offered for the discovery of a practicable bridle track from the head of Lake Wanaka to the West Coast, and Mr. Ferguson determined to secure it. He and two companions set out with that end in view, but on reaching the top of the ranges at the head of Lake Wanaka a heavy fall of snow compelled them to return to the lower ground. Heavy storms continued, accompanied by high-flooded rivers, and for a long time the three adventurers were unable to quit their camp. Their provisions ran out, and for more than seven days they lived on woodhens caught by a faithful dog which accompanied them on their journey. After undegoing great privations the party returned to Queenstown, unsuccessful, though Mr. Ferguson had spent all his earnings from the Moa Creek diggings in providing for the journey. He again turned his attention to the gold diggings, and took up a piece of ground on the Shotover. There, however, ill fortune still pursued him, for during a disastrous flood, whereby many men lost their lives, Mr. Ferguson escaped with a blanket, having lost his clothes and all else possessed by him. After that, he started packing goods between Queenstown, Shotover, and Moa Creek, and carried on the business for eighteen months. He then left Queenstown with five pack horses, a considerable amount of money, and renewed confidence in his future, and travelled to Christchurch, where he sold four of his horses. From Christchurch he travelled to Greenstone by way of Taylor's Saddle and the Teremakau, and was soon engaged in packing between Greymouth and the Greenstone, via the Teremakau. On that journey he was accompanied by a former mate of his, Mr. W. C. Buchanan, who afterwards became a successful and influential man in the North Island, a member of Parliament and the owner of an extensive estate in the Wairarapa. When the possibilities of Hokitika as a remunerative goldfield began to be talked about, Messrs Fergrson and Buchanan and Captain Leech, so well known at Westport, and then captain of the old s.s. “Nelson,” walked from Greymouth to Hokitika, and at low water marked with poles the channel of the river. Captain Leech proceeded to Nelson where he filled his steamer with such articles as he considered necessary for the new diggings, and then returned and successfully navigated the river, his steamer being the first to enter the Hokitika. Messrs Ferguson and Buchanan determined to start storekeeping in the new field, and, obtaining the frame of a store from Nelson, they erected it on what is now known as Revell street, alongside the river. This business was most prosperous, and after two years, the friends dissolved partnership, Mr. Ferguson coming to Canterbury in 1866. He then started in the stock trade, buying cattle and forwarding them to the West Coast. Since his first connection with this business Mr. Ferguson has bought and sold hundreds of thousands of cattle. In 1878 he bought his beautiful property at Halswell. It was then a swamp in its native state, covered with flax, but is now known as one of the finest estates around Christchurch, and famed for the fertility of its soil. Mr. Ferguson afterwards transferred his stock business to his son, and now occupies his time in looking after his large flock of dairy cattle. He has been a most successful exhibitor of fat cattle at the Agricultural and Pastoral Association's shows since 1870, and has won numerous gold medals and silver cups. He has been a member of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association since 1874, and was president during one of the years of Lord Onslow's governorship. Mr. Ferguson is member of the finance committee of St. Paul's Church, Christchurch; he was one of the founders of the Addington saleyards, and was member of the directorate until compelled to resign through ill health. He has been a member of the Halswell Road Board, and of the school committee for eighteen years, during twelve of which he was chairman. He was one of the first to advocate the establishment of the Central Dairy Factory, and was on the board of directors till compelled to retire through ill health. Mr. Ferguson page 669 married Miss Harris, of Christchurch, but in 1898 he was left a widower with two sons and three daughters. The eldest son, Mr. John Eccles Ferguson, continues to carry on the large stock business of his father, with great success, and the second son, Lieutenant George Weir Ferguson, made a name for himself in the South African war, to which he went with the Fifth Contingent, and secured a commission before reaching the age of seventeen. After seeing active service for one year and four months, he returned to New Zealand, but only to take charge of a troop with which he returned to South Africa for further active service

Mr. Daniel Day, Somerset Cottage, Lincoln Road, Halswell, was born in Somersetshire, England, in 1823, and followed the trade of a bricklayer in his earlier days. He came to New Zealand by the ship “Glentanner,” in 1857, and found employment for two years and a half with Messrs Washbourne Bros, for whom he erected their first wooden homestead. Mr. Day began farming on his own account at Ladbrooks, where he bought about ten acres of land, on the site now occupied by Ladbrook station. He improved his holding, and after adding twenty acres to it, and keeping it for seven years, he sold it at a very large profit. He then bought a farm of about 203 acres in the Springston district, where his only neighbour then was the late Mr. Thomas Shand. The land was totally unimproved, but its natural fertility soon repaid the toil and expense of improvement. About 1870 Mr. Day retired, and leased his farm, which is now occupied by his son-in-law, Mr. Henry Kimber. Since his retirement Mr. Day has lived in Lincoln Read, and, notwithstanding his age, he has until lately been in the habit of taking his exercise on a bicycle. Mr. Day married previous to his departure from England, and has had one son and one daughter.

Mr. D. Day.