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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Seaward Downs

Seaward Downs.

Seaward Downs is the name of a farming district in the electorate of Mataura, and forms part of the Waihopai riding of the county of Southland. It is distant ten miles by a good road to the south of Edendale, and about the same distance south-west of Wyndham; and at the census of 1901 it had a population of 164. Seaward Downs has a public school, with an average attendance of twenty-four children, and there is a locally owned cheese fictory in full operation.

Seaward Downs Dairy Factory Company, Limited , Seaward Downs. Directors: Mr T. Haining, chairman, and Messrs H. McCall, J. E. McBean, R. McKenzie, and J. Welsh. Mr J. McLauchlan is secretary. Registered office, Wyndham. This factory was established in 1898, and stands on a section of one acre and ahalf of land at Seaward Downs. The building is of wood and iron, and contains a full cheese-making plant. There are three vats in the makingroom, capable of holding 2,000 gallons of milk in all. A large storeroom, adjoining, is capable of containing thirty tons of cheese. The plant is driven by a four horse-power steam engine, and an eight horsepower boiler. In addition to the cheese plant, there is a separator for winter work. The manager's residence stands on the same property. The output of the factory for the season 1904–5, was about 100 tons of cheese.

Mr. Charles Keay , Manager of the Seaward Downs Dairy Factory was appointed to the position in 1903. He was born at Crail, Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1870, but attended school in Edinburgh. When twenty years of age, he came to Port Chalmers by the s.s. “Aorangi,” Mr Keay went to the Clinton district, where he was employed in farm work. In 1900 he commenced to get experience in dairy work at the Gore factory, and after two seasons gained further experience at the Aparima factory, Riverton, where he was an assistant for one year. As an Oddfellow, Mr McKeay is connected with Lodge Alma, Wyndham; and as a Freemason, he belongs to Lodge Mokoreta, No 63, New Zealand Constitution.He was married on the 22nd of September, 1904, to the daughter of the late Mr John Taylor, farmer, of Taieri.

Ballantine, James , Farmer, “Greenburn,” Seaward Downs. Mr Ballantine was born in 1838, in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was brought up to country life from his earliest years, and succeeded his father, who was farming in Lanarkshire. In 1886, he sold out to come to New Zealand. He arrived in Dunedin, by the s.s. “Rimutaka,” and worked for two years at Edendale, before settling at Seaward Downs. Mr Ballantine's farm consists of 202 acres of freehold, and was
Gerstenkorn, photo. Mr. And Mrs J. Ballantine.

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mr. And Mrs J. Ballantine.

in a rough condition when he bought it, but has since then been very much improved by its owner. Mr Ballantine engages chiefly in dairy farming, and had twenty-eight cows in milk in the season of 1904–05. He has been a member of the Seaward Downs school committee since settling in the district. Mr Ballantine was married, in 1877, to a daughter of the late Mr James McMillan, of Argyleshire, Scotland, and has, surviving, eight sons and five daughters.
Haining, Thomas , Farmer, “Ingleston,” Seaward Downs. Mr Haining was born in the parish of Irongray, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, in 1862; he attended school in Kirkcudbrightshire, and also at Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire, and was brought up to a country life. He arrived at Wellington in 1890, by the s.s. “Arawa,” and on coming to Southland found employment at Edendale for six weeks. Subsequently page 1072 he worked under Mr Menzies at Glenure station, Balfour, for three years, and was at Kawarau Falls station for a like period. In 1897, Mr Haining bought “Ingleston,” a farm of 178 acres, which he has considerably improved. Since settling at Seaward Downs, he has been a director of the
Gerstenkorn, photo. Mr. And Mrs T. Haining.

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mr. And Mrs T. Haining.

the local dairy factory, and was elected chairman in 1902. Mr Haining was for some time an elder of the Presbyterian church at Queenstown, and also at Wyndham. He was married, in 1890, to a daughter of the late Mr John Dick, of “Thorniethwaite,” Lochmaben, Scotland.

Mccall, Hugh , Farmer, Clover Meadows, Seaward Downs. Mr McCall has 694 acres of freehold land, which he devotes to mixed farming, including dairying; as many as fifty cows are milked during the flush of the season. Clydesdale horses are a special line, and some splendid animals have been reared, and a firstclass entire is still retained by Mr McCall. The property includes an extensive flat, which was originally covered with rushes and raupo. Large sums of money have been expended in clearing, draining, and cultivating this flat, and in 1904 from twenty-five to thirty miles of drain ploughing was completed. Mr McCall was born in the town of Ayr, Scotland, on the 9th of February, 1852. He attended school in Ayrshire, and was brought, brought up by his grandfather. In 1865, Mr McCall landed in Melbourne, and came in the month of April, of the same year, to join his people in Dunedin. The family settled in Shag Valley, where Mr McCall gained most of his colonial country experience. When he was nineteen years and six months old, his father gave him a pair of horses, and he at once commenced cropping on his own account in the Waikouaiti district. Four years later, he engaged in contracting and carting on the roads, and, later, commenced farming in the Palmerston district. Mr McCall had contracts for eleven years afterwards in connection with railway works, and at the end of that period settled in the Taieri, where he remained four years. In June, 1897, he took up his land at Seaward Downs. Mr McCall was one of the chief promoters of the Seaward Downs dairy factory and he has been a director from the first, and became chairman in 1898. As a breeder of stock, he has been interested in Clydesdales since he was twenty-three years of age, and, in 1904, he sent away 1,123 fat lambs from his farm to the freezing works. Mr McCall was married, on the 15th of September, 1876, to a daughter of the late Mr Robert Drysdale, of Glenlis, Stranraer, Scotland, and of Shag Valley, Otago, and has eight sons and three daughters.

Morris, John , Farmer, Seaward Downs. Mr Morris was born, in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1856, and was brought up to country life. In May, 1877, he arrived at Port Chalmers, by the ship “Wennington.” On settling in Invercargill, he was employed at Seaward Bush, and after wards in the New River district. In 1880, Mr Morris removed to Wyndham, where he found employment for five years. He then took a small farm at Menzies Ferry, where he worked ten acres of freehold and a leasehold lignite pit. In 1891, Mr Morris bought his farm at Seaward Downs. It consists of 297 acres, held under freehold tenure, and is devoted to dairyfarming and mixed farming. In the season of 1904, he had fifty-three cows in milk, and ran about 100 sheep on his land, besides having a considerable area in cereals. Mr Morris was married, in 1880, to the daughter of Mr James Tod, of County Galway, Ireland. Mrs Morris died in 1892, leaving two sons and one daughter. In May, 1893, Mr Morris was married to a daughter of Mr James Smith, of Waianiwa, and has two daughters and one son by this union.