Earnscleugh , an extensive flat on the western side of the Molyneux river, between Alexandra and Clyde, takes its name from the Earnscleugh station, a large pastoral property which extends from the Flat to over the back ranges. Farming is carried on, but fruit culture is the most important industry. The banks of the Molyneux and Flat are dredged for gold, and, unfortunately, this is rapidly lessening the area that would be more permanently profitable if preserved for the growing of fruit. There are a number of settlers at Earnscleugh, and it has a public school.

The Earnscleugh Public School was opened on the 10th of February, 1896. The building consists of a single room and a porch, is composed of wood and iron, and stands on a section of land ten acres in extent. The school has accommodation for fifty pupils, and there are thirty-nine on the roll, with an average attendance of thirty-one. Miss Eliza Agnes O'Shea is the mistress in charge.

Miss Kate Mcmillan , formerly Headmistress of the Earnscleugh school, was born in Dunedin, and was educated at the High Street school, where she served her pupil teachership. The Board of Education appointed her mistress of the Earnscleugh school, and after one year's service there she gained the E3 certificate, afterwards raised to E2. Miss McMillan is a member of the Central Otago branch of the Educational Institute. [After this article was written Miss McMillan married, and is now Mrs Anderson.]

Hawley, Thomas , Junior, Farmer, Earnscleugh. Mr. Hawley was born in Tasmania in 1863, and brought up to agricultural pursuits. He settled in 1881 on his farm, which consists of 177 acres of freehold land. He has resided in Otago since 1866, and for five years before taking his present farm, he was engaged in mining. Mr. Hawley was married, in 1895, to a daughter of the late Mr. C. Lewis, of Dunedin, and has had a son and a daughter, of whom only the daughter survives.

Mr. And Mrs T. Hawley, And Infant.

Mr. Thomas Hawley , sometime of “Omeo Creek,” Earnscleugh, was born in Huntingdonshire, Scotland, in 1817. He was brought up to country life, and in 1840 left his native land for Tasmania, whence, after twenty years, he removed to Victoria, and settled in Otago in 1864. For some years Mr. Hawley engaged in goldmining. In 1882 he purchased a freehold of sixty acres, where he afterwards resided. Mr. Hawley was married, in 1847, to a daughter of Mr. G. Savery, of Tavistock, and had six sons and seven daughters, of whom only two sons survive. Mr. Hawley died about two years ago.

The Earnscleugh No. 2 Gold Dredge Company is a private company, which holds over ninety acres of alluvial country, and has had its dredge at work since February, 1899. The engine is of twenty horse-power, the capacity of the dredge about 180 tons per hour, and the total cost was about £9000. In addition to the engine which drives the dredge proper, there is a six horse-power engine and winch for moving the dredge as required. Mr. James Foohey is managsr.

Earnscleugh Dredge, No. 2.

Mr. Charles Weaver , Manager of the Earnscleugh No. 3 dredge, was born in 1869, in Alexandra, where he was educated. He was engaged in mining for about thirteen years, and worked with his father, the late Mr John Weaver, who was an old Californian and Victorian digger. For some years Mr. Weaver was sluicing on the Earnscleugh No. 2 claim. He has from the first been associated with the early history of dredging on that part of the Molyneux, and was one of the original shareholders of the Alexandra Dredge Company, which has two dredges at work. Mr. Weaver took up the Earnscleugh No. 1 property, which he floated as a private company, and afterwards the Earnscleugh No. 2, and with the assistance of Mr. James Kelman, the Earnscleugh No. 3 was formed into a public company. Mr. Weaver was manager of the Alexandra Dredge Company for about four years, and had charge of the Earnscleugh No. 2 dredge from its inception, until he became manager of Earnscleugh No. 3 dredge, the largest in the colony; it is worked by electric power, and is now owned by a private company.

Mr. C. Weaver.