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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Waterton

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Waterton.

Waterton is in the Longbeach road district, and is ten miles from Tinwald and twelve from Ashburton. A coach carrying passengers and mails leaves Waterton daily at 8 a.m., and returns at 6 p.m. The township itself is on the Longbeach road and close to the seashore. There is a good hotel of twenty-one rooms, several business houses, a church and a school, which is situated near Longbeach homestead. The land throughout the district is of good quality, and yields excellent crops of cereals. There is generally a large area under cultivation, and sheep thrive well on the lighter land.

Waterton Hotel (E. P. March), proprietor), Waterton. This hotel is situated in the pleasant country district of Waterton, close to the well-known Longbeach estate. The house contains twenty-four rooms, including the dining room and four sitting rooms. A balcony runs round the house, affording on one side a splendid view of the sea, and on the other, of the picturesque neighbouring country, with the hills in the distance. Waterton is a favourite health resort, and Mr. Burkitt's house is throughout a model of cleanliness. A good table is also kept. Stabling is provided, an there are accommodation paddocks for sheep.

Mr. S. W. Burkitt, formerly Proprietor of the Waterton Hotel, was born in Norfolk, England, where he was brought up to farming. He came to New Zealand on the maiden trip of the s.s. “Coptic,” in 1884. Mr. Burkitt followed mining and farming first in Central Otago and afterwards in Nelson. He took over the Waterton Hotel, in 1899. Mr. Burkitt married Miss Peters, of Otago, and has one son.

Waterton Hotel.

Waterton Hotel.

McLauchlan, William, Farmer, Craigieburn Farm, Waterton. Mr. McLauchlan has been identified with Canterbury since 1855, when he arrived at Lyttelton in the ship “Cornubia.” He was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1837. After remaining in Christchurch some time he went to Lincoln, where he bought a farm, which he worked for five years. Then he went to Brookside, where he farmed for twenty-five years. On the expiration of his lease he went to Waterton, in 1891, and bought his present farm of 303 acres, which has all been successfully cultivated. Mr. McLauchlan's wheat crops occasionally average forty bushels, and oats fifty bushels per acre. Mr. McLauchlan has been very successful in breeding horses. He was married, in New Zealand, to Miss Christina Sutherland, of Caithness, Scotland, and has two sons and one daughter.

Mitchell, photo.Mr. W. McLauchlan.

Mitchell, photo.
Mr. W. McLauchlan.

Mr. Andrew Dawson, of Waterton, is a very old colonist, who landed in New Zealand prior to the first four ships. He was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1826, and was brought up to agriculture. In 1849 he arrived in New Zealand in the ship “Duke of Portland,” and landed at Wellington. He came out as a cadet, and throughout his long experience in New Zealand has never once regretted the step he took. On the arrival of the first four ships at Lyttelton, Mr. Dawson went to Canterbury, and settled for some time at the Head of the Bay, in Banks' Peninsula. In 1872, he took up his present farm of 1460 acres, then mostly swamp land, covered with flax and tussock. It has all been drained and farmed successfully, and the crops yield good returns. Mr. Dawson was for many years an active member of the Longbeach Road Board, and was for a long time chairman of the Waterton school committee. He married a daughter of the late Mr. Prebble, of Prebbleton, and has a surviving family of four sons and four daughters. Mrs Dawson was brought out, when a child, with her parents, in 1840, and is considered the oldest surviving lady colonist in Ashburton county.