Esk Valley, sometimes called Upper Otaio, is in the Otaio riding of the Waimate county, on the road to Bluecliffs, and about five miles from St. Andrews. The district has a public school, and a church, and is largely devoted to sheepfarming. Esk Bank estate, which was in the neighbourhood, has been cut up and sold by its owners.

The Esk Valley Public School was established about 1878, under the name of Upper Otaio, but the name was changed in 1900. The building, which is prettily ornamented with climbing roses, was erected about 1878. It is of wood and iron, and has accommodation for sixty pupils. The number on the roll is fifty-nine. There is an average attendance of forty-eight, and the mistress-in-charge has one assistant. The land attached to the premises is two acres in extent, and there is a convenient playground, with shelter sheds, besides a comfortable five-roomed residence which stands in a well kept garden.

St. Mary's Anglican Church, Esk Valley, was built in 1879 by the late Mr. Charles Meyer, the original owner of Bluecliff station. It is a handsome stone building with seating accommodation for fifty persons. Mr. Meyer presented the church and five acres of land to the parish. The church has some very fine stained glass windows, the gift of various donors. Part of the land is used as a cemetery. The church is in the parish of Otaio with Bluecliff.

Campbell, John, Farmer, Fern Hill, Esk Valley. Mr. Campbell was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1849. Two of his brothers were doctors, and he was intended for the medical profession, but did not continue his studies. He came to New Zealand by the ship “Tudor,” in 1865, and settling at Ellesmere, was farming there for about thirteen years, until he removed to South Canterbury in 1879. Mr. Campbell settled on his property of 150 acres freehold at St. Andrews in 1890. He has served as a member of the Southbridge and Esk Valley school committees, and was elected a member of the South Canterbury Education Board in 1900, and has since been re-elected. At the general election of 1899 Mr. Campbell announced himself as a candidate for the Waitaki seat in order to insure a valid poll on the licensing question. Owing to illness he withdrew from the contest, but did so too late to prevent a contested election. At the election of 1902 he made an excellent fight for the seat, polling 1400 votes against the successful candidate's number, 1991. Mr. Campbell was married, in May, 1872, to a daughter of the late Mr. John Hall, of Buckinghamshire, England, and has had three sons and two daughters; the eldest daughter is dead. His eldest son was a member of the Seventh New Zealand Contingent, and his youngest of the Eighth on service in South Africa, and both returned to the colony unharmed. The other son is an engineer on the Natal Government railways.

Burford, photo.
Mr. and Mrs J. Campbell.

Copland, Alexander, Farmer, “Brookfield.” Esk Valley. Mr. Copland was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1841, and was brought up to farming in the Old Country. He came out in the ship “Tudor” in 1865, and landed at Lyttelton. After working for a time at Christchuch and at Messrs Gould and Miles' farm, at Selwyn, he went to Bangor soon after Mr. Ward took it up, and remained there nine months. Then he went to Cheviot, and was on the Hon. W. Robinson's station for fifteen months. From Cheviot he went to Otago, and was at Clydevale for a short period. In 1869 he commenced contract ploughing on the Pareora station, and carried on the work for about twelve years, while working some land he bought and sold during that period. For instance, he bought a block of land at the Hook; ring-fenced it, cropped a portion of it, and then sold it. He then bought Howburn farm, near Bluecliffs; its area was then 250 acres, but it has been added to, and is now 450 acres. Mr. Copland lived there for two years after getting married. In 1878, he bought, in conjunction with Messrs Turnbull, Godby and Tosswill, a farm of 376 acres near St. Andrews. After some years he took over the farm on his own account, and in 1895 sold it to the Government. In 1880 he bought Brookfield farm of 355 acres, which has since been increased to 650 acres, and has lived there since 1880, working the two farms together. Mr. Copland grows wheat that averages about thirty bushels per acre, and oats averaging forty to forty-five bushels. He also grows a large quantity of turnips, and fattens a good many sheep for the export trade. Mr. Copland also owns, near Makikihi, 100 acres of swamp land which has been drained with Government assistance, and is now fit for cultivation. Mr. Copland is a member of the Timaru Caledonian Lodge of Freemasons, and for many years was a member of the Upper Otaio school committee, of which he was chairman for one year. He is also a member of the Wainono Drainage Board, and of the St. Andrews Saleyards Company. Mr. Copland married Miss London, of St. Andrews, in 1878, and has a family of eight sons and five daughters.

Mr. A. Copland.

Cross, George, Farmer, Esklands, Esk Valley. Mr. Cross's property consists of 550 acres, on which he keeps about 900 sheep, chiefly of the English Leicester breed. Mr. Cross was born in Cornwall, England, in page 1051 1855, and was brought up to country life on his father's farm. In 1874 he arrived in Lyttelton and settled in the Geraldine district, where he found employment for the first few years near Winchester. Mr. Cross bought the first portion of his property near St. Andrews in 1897, and has since then considerably added to it. For a time he was a member of the Orari school committee. He was married, in 1876, to a daughter of Mr. Joseph Lewis, of Winchester, and has had seven sons and five daughters. One son and one daughter are dead.

Ryan, Patrick, Farmer, “Esk Bank,” Esk Valley, St. Andrews. Mr. Ryan was born in February, 1853, in Tipperary, Ireland, and arrived in New Zealand with his parents by the ship “Egmont” in 1861. He was brought up in the Templeton and Prebbleton districts, and in 1876 commenced farming on his own account at Templeton. Having sold his property there in 1898, he removed to Rangitata and bought a farm at Glentui, which he sold a year later, and acquired “Esk Bank,” consisting of 875 acres of freehold. Mr. Ryan was married on the 29th of February, 1875, to a daughter of Mr. R. Lysaght, of Ashburton. His wife died on the 15th of January, 1876, leaving one son. Mr. Ryan afterwards married a daughter of the late Mr. James Williams, of County Wicklow, Ireland, and has six sons and two daughters by this union.