Mr. Alexander Robert Wallis , J. P., formerly owner of Woodstock Estate, is the eldest son of the Rev. A. W. Wallis, one of the Royal chaplains in the Bengal Presidency, and was born in Ghazeepore, India, in 1848. He was educated at Lancing College, near Brighton, Sussex, and afterwards studied at Cirencester Agricultural College, as well as in Germany. His success was a brilliant one, as he became the senior diplomist, and leading student in agriculture at that time, and was offered the chair of Professor of Agriculture, at the Cornell University, United States. He, however, declined the offer in order to accept an appointment on the agricultural staff of the “Melbourne Argus,” and “Australasian;” a position which he ably filled for rather more than one year. In 1872, he was appointed first secretary of the newly-established Agricultural Department of Victoria, and was instrumental in building up that important department, and founding the agricultural college of that colony. He retained the position until 1882, when he became interested in pastoral properties in West Australia and Victoria. In the following year he purchased an interest in the Morton Mains Estate, near Edendale, Southland, and ultimately became sole proprietor until 1888, when it was acquired by a company, who retained him as manager. On the dissolution of the company, in 1894, Mr Wallis purchased the Woodstock, Estate. Mr Wallis now carries on business as a sawmiller at Hedgehope, and has an office in Esk Street, Invercargill.