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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 75
Area, Nature, and Disposition of Lands
Area, Nature, and Disposition of Lands.
The area of the Canterbury Land District is 8.776,655 acres, of which the estimated area of forest land is 492,130 acres. Forest-lands are found in Banks Peninsula and in the Mount Peel and Waimate districts, where the timber consists chiefly of rimu, totara and matai; at the sources of the Ashley, Waimakariri, Hakaia, Hopkins, and Hunter Rivers, at Lake Wanaka and near Springfield and Methven, the timber in these localities being mostly native beech; and near Oxford, where the beech is interspersed with rimu, totara, matai, &c.
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The lands of Canterbury are classed as follows: First class, 1,840,681 acres; second class, 4,707,173 acres; third class (barren lands and lands of small value) 2,228,801 acres: total, 8,776,655 acres.
| The disposition of lands was in 1897 as follows:— | No. of Holders. | Area in Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crown lands disposed of for cash (including land granted under Midland Railway Act, 330,414 acres) | 3,443,563 | |
| 2. Lands held on deferred payments | 56 | 14,980 |
| 3. Lands held on perpetual lease | 179 | 18,792 |
| 4. Lands held as leaseholds in perpetuity | 638 | 125,998 |
| 5. Lands held in occupation with right of purchase | 16 | 1,082 |
| 6. Lands held as village-homestead special settlements | 355 | 11,919 |
| 7. Lands held as small grazing-runs | 37 | 76,812 |
| 8. Lands held as grazing-farins (on Cheviot Estate) | 27 | 44,887 |
| 9. Pastoral licenses | 94 | 2,848,777 |
| 10. Special-settlement associations | 41 | 4,803 |
| 11. Reserves and Crown lands held under temporary occupation licenses (area, 44,944 acres, included in 12 and 16) | 340 | |
| 12. Area of land reserved and granted under various Acts (exclusive of Midland Railway land, included in 1) | 433,824 | |
| 13. Land purchased and disposed of under Land for Settlements Acts (included in 4, 7, 10, and 11; 290 holders, 29,266 acres) | ||
| 14. Crown lands open for selection | 63,731 | |
| 15. Crown lands being prepared for selection* | 3,429 | |
| 16. Barren lands, and lands for future disposal | 1,634,049 | |
| Total | 8,776,665 |
In explanation, it may be noted that No. 1 comprises the freehold lands conveyed, and that tenants of Nos. 2, 3, and 5 have the right of acquiring the freehold, which is not the case with tenants of Nos. 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13. Crown lands proper are: 14, open for selection; 15, being prepared for selection.