Caroline is a railway siding about four miles from Dipton, and nine miles from Lumsden. It is on the Invercargill-Kingston line of railway, forty-one miles from Invercargill, and stands at an elevation of 484 feet above the level of the sea. The Caroline Valley runs off almost at right angles from the railway, in an easterly direction towards Balfour. It is a farming district, but flax-milling is also carried on. About two miles from the railway station stands the Caroline public school, in which services are held by the Presbyterian minister at Dipton. There is a post office in the district with a daily mail service. The settlement lies in the Oreti riding of the county of Southland, in the electoral district of Wallace, and had a population of ninety-four at the census of 1901.

Caroline Flaxmill (E. G. Alford, proprietor), Waiau. The Caroline flaxmill was situated originally about two miles and a-half from the Caroline siding, but was afterwards removed to the Waiau district. It is well-equipped with up-to-date machinery, including a twelve horse-power stationary engine and a fifteen horse-power boiler. Thirty persons are employed.

Mr. Ernest George Alford , Proprietor and Manager of the Caroline flaxmill, was born in London, in 1870. and left there for South Australia with his parents, in 1878. He came to New Zealand in 1893, and was employed with Ross and Co., twine manufacturers, Invercargill, for seven years. For two years he managed a mill for Mr Cruicksbank, and in October, 1902, started a mill at Otapiri Gorge for himself. In 1903, he removed to Josephville, settled at Caroline in April, 1904, and, later on, went to Waiau. Mr Alford married a daughter of Mrs Durham, of Invercargill, in 1895.

Craig, John , Farmer, Caroline. Mr Craig holds a farm of about 600 acres in the Caroline Valley; 285 acres freehold, and 311 acres leasehold, about three miles from Caroline siding. Mr Craig was born at Glenluce, Wigtonshire, Scotland, in 1851, and arrived at Port Chalmers in 1875, by the ship “Maori.” He was educated at Dune-din, and worked on his father's farm at Goodwood, until he started farming in the Shag Valley district with his brothers. In 1874, he took up land in the Oamaru district with his brother James. After leaving Oamaru he took up, in 1883, a small section near Caroline siding, where he engaged in the firewood trade. In 1886, he took up 150 acres at Dipton, but sold out in 1900 to remove to Caroline. In 1877, Mr Craig married a daughter of Mr George Lindsay, of “Birkenshaw,” Milton, and has five sons and three daughters.

Senior, Joseph Robson , Farmer, “Knottingley,” Caroline. Mr. Senior was born in 1852, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, and was educated at Pontefract. He left for Australia in 1877 by the s.s. “Chimborazo,” and followed various pursuits in New South Wales for five years. After re-visiting the Old Country he came to New Zealand in 1883 and settled in Southland, where he acquired his farm of 400 acres, on which he systematically grows crops and depastures stock. Mr. Senior was married in 1893 to a daughter of Mr. Alexander Jenkins, of Dipton.

Taylor, Owen , Farmer, Caroline. Mr Taylor has a farm of 600 acres, about four miles from Caroline siding. He was born in Monmouth, Wales, England, in 1862, educated there, and in 1875 came to New Zealand with his parents, in the ship “Soukar.” The family settled at Waimate, Canterbury, and after some time Mr Taylor started there in dairy supply work. After spending some years in general farm work, he took up 340 acres of his present holding in 1888, and added the remainder later on. As he has a considerable extent of valuable bush on his farm, Mr Taylor engages extensively in the firewood trade, and carts to the railway with his own teams. He was for some time a member of the local school committee, and is on the committee of the Dipton Anglican church. In 1883, Mr Taylor married a daughter of Mr John Corkhill, contractor, Waimate, and has five sons and one daughter.