Culverden, the centre of a wealthy sheepfarming country, is in the Pahau riding of the county of Amuri, and its railway station is the present (1903) northern terminus of the Hurunui-Bluff section of the New Zealand railways. The township is sixty-nine miles north of Christchurch, and the railway station stands 567 feet above the level of the sea. It contains a general store, a bakery, a saddler's shop, wheelwright's shop, and a blacksmith's shop, a hotel, and a police station. Culverden has a resident medical man, a public school, and a Presbyterian church. It is the starting place for coaches for Hanmer Hot Springs, and for Waiau and Kaikoura. Twenty-five acres of land in the township are devoted to the Amuri saleyards, where many large sales are held, as many as 126,000 sheep having been yarded for one day's sale. Sheep are brought from Springfield in the south, and from as far north as Nelson and Blenheim. The population of the settlement at the census of 1901 was eighty-seven, and twenty-five persons were returned as residing at Culverden sheep station, which adjoins the settlement. The township has a post, telegraph and money order office, a town hall, courthouse, and a drill hall for the Amuri Mounted Rifles. Culverden is the headquarters of the Amuri County Council, and of the Hurunui Rabbit Board.

Amuri County Council; Mr. D. Rutherford (chairman) and Mr. Caleb Smith (clerk and treasurer). The area of the county is 2362 square miles and the population about 1200. The total capital value of ratable property is about £648,000 on which there is a general rate of 1/2d in the £; and special rates of 3/4d, seven-sixteenths of a penny, and five-sixteenths of a penny in the £ have been levied for interest on loans. The total revenue amounts to about £2800. The county is divided into four ridings, Pahau, Waiau, Hanmer, and Rotherham.

Councillor Ralph Anderson Chaffey, Member of the Amuri County Council, was born in Somerset, England in 1856. He was educated for the Army but came to New Zealand in 1878. He landed at Lyttelton, and went to North Otago as manager for Mr. W. H. Teschemaker, on Kauroo Hill station, which he managed until 1897, when he took charge of Highfield station in the Amuri district. Mr. Chaffey has always taken a prominent part in volunteering, and in 1885 raised the North Otago Hussars, of which he was captain until 1897, when he was transferred to Canterbury, where he initiated the Amuri Mounted Rifles. He was csptain of that corps, and in 1901, was made major of the 2nd Battalion of the North Canterbury Mounted Rifles. Since 1899 Major Chaffey has served as a member of the Amuri County Council, and while in Otago he was for seventeen years a member of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association, of which he was president for two years. He has always taken a great interest in football, cricket and boxing. Major Chaffey was married, in 1889, to a daughter of the late Mr. Frederick Le Cren, of Timaru. This lady died in 1890. In 1897 he was married to a daughter of Dr. Webster, of Balruddery, near Oamaru, and has one son and one daughter by this union.

Councillor Alexander Macfarlane has been a member of the Amuri County Council since 1893. He was born in Rangiora, in 1863, and educated at Lincoln Agricultural College. Mr. Macfarlane was on Lyndon station for seven years, and then took over his present property. He was married, in 1897, to a daughter of the late Mr. G. W. McRae, of the Glens of Tekoa.

Councillor J. McArthur, of the Amuri County Council, was born in Argyleshire, Scotland. When quite a boy he went to Australia and engaged in pastoral pursuits for fourteen years. In 1869 Mr McArthur came to Wellington, visited Auckland, and finally settled in Amuri, where he acquired his present station. He took over the management of “St. Helen's” in 1895, and is working it in conjunction with “St. James's.” Mr. McArthur was for twelve years a member of the Amuri Road Board, and has been a member of the Amuri County Council since 1899, and chairman of the Hanmer school committee since 1896. Since settling in Amuri, he has taken several trips to Australia. He was married, in 1890, to a daughter of Mr. McArthur, of South Melbourne, and has one son.

Mr. Caleb Smith, for fifteen years Clerk of the Kaikoura County Council, was appointed Clerk of the Amuri County Council, at the end of 1902, to succeed Mr. A. J. O'Malley, resigned.

Mr. A. J. O'Malley, formerly Clerk, Inspector of Works, Treasurer, Returning Officer, and Dog Registrar to the Amuri County Council, was born in Christchurch in 1870, and was educated at the High School there. He joined the Government Survey department under Mr. F. S. Smith, in 1886, and subsequently served under Mr. D. I. Barron, and whilst in the service Mr. O'Malley acquired valuable knowledge of surveying and engineering, which afterwards became of great assistance to him. In 1890, he entered the service of the Amuri County Council as assistant clerk under his father, and on the retirement of the latter in 1894, was promoted to his various appointments. Mr. O'Malley has always taken an active part in local athletic sports, and on several occasions has acted as handicapper, secretary, and treasurer. He was secretary of the Amuri Cricket Club, a member of the Amuri Turf Club, and also a sergeant in the Amuri Mounted Rifles. Mr. O'Malley resigned his offices under the Amuri County Council in the latter part of 1902.

Mr. A. J. O'Malley.

Culverden Raiway Station is at present the northern terminus of the Hurunui-Bluff section of New Zealand railways. The building is of wood and iron, and contains the stationmaster's office, and two waiting-rooms, besides the postal and telegraph page 590 department. There is also an engine shed and a large goods shed. The station dates from 1886, the year the line was opened to Culverden. Daily trains arrive and depart; and extra trains run on Wednesday to meet the requirements of sheepfarmers attending the Christchurch sales. Wool, flax, cattle and sheep are loaded at the station, and it is considered that more stock are despatched from Culverden than from any other station on the northern line.

Mr. Robert J. Connell, Stationmaster at Culverden, was born at Lyttelton in 1867. He joined the railway service in Christchurch, and was in charge of Rangitata for ten years prior to 1902, when he was transferred to Culverden. Mr. Connell was married, in 1892, to a daughter of the late Mr. R. Guy, of Temuka, and has two sens.

The Presbyterian Church, Culverden, is centrally situated in the township, and was erected in 1891. For some years previously services were held in the district. The church is still (1902) under the charge of the Rev. W. R. Campbell, B.A., new of Hanmer, but the intention is to have a resident minister for the Waiau and Culverden district.

Little, Charles Thomas (Bach. Med. and Bach. Surg. Univ. N.Z., 1893), Physician and Surgeon, Culverden.

Shipton, Henry C., Merchant, Culverden. Mr. Shipton was born in Liverpool, England, and was brought up in his native city in a corn merchant's office, in which he served for five years as an apprentice, and for two years as clerk. In 1878 he started a grocery and provision business in Warrington, but after carrying it on for five years, returned to his former office. He subsequently set out for New Zealand, and on arriving in Canterbury found employment at the Lincoln flourmills; but soon after went back to England, where, however, he stayed only a short time. After returning to New Zealand, he worked a flourmill on his own account at Culverden for five years. In 1891 he took over his present business of coal, timber, and produce merchant. Mr. Shipton was married, in 1898, to a daughter of the late Mr. John Simpson, of Scotland, and Hewitt's Road, Merivale, Christchurch, and has one son.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Mr. H. C. Shipton.

Hare, W. E., General Blacksmith and Wheelwright, Culverden. Mr. Hare was born in 1860 in Lyttelton, where he was educated. He established his present business in 1887, soon after the railway was opened, and was among the first to settle on Culverden Flat. In 1874 he went to the Hurunui, where he learned his trade, and remained for thirteen years. Mr. Hare was married in 1886 to the fourth daughter of Mr. Isaac [gap — reason: illegible], of Gloucestershire, and has two daughters.

Mr. W. E. Hare.