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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

[Pareora]

Pareora is the name of a district noted in the early days for its fine pastoral qualities, and it is still largely devoted to sheepfarming, as well as to agriculture, although the settlers are much more numerous than in the purely pastoral period of the runholders. Pareora is situated partly in the Levels county, but is chiefly in the county of Waimate. On the northern side of the Pareora river there is a public school, and at the census of 1901 the population was returned as being thirty-nine. There are a number of settlers' homesteads, and a blacksmith's shop in the neighbourhood. The school is largely attended by the children of the Beaconsfield (Otipua) settlement. The northern side is connected with the southern side of the river by a substantial traffic bridge, and the district originally known as Pareora extends right out to the sea near St. Andrews, which was formerly included under the name. A great deal of the land has been cut up for close settlement, and there are public schools at Springbrook, near St. Andrews, Cannington, Southburn and Lyalldale. Cannington is a village settlement near the traffic bridge over the Pareora river on the main south road. The district is sometimes spoken of as Upper and Lower Pareora, which are ridings of Waimate county; and the settlers of the upper district are about ten miles from Timaru and St. Andrews, respectively. As a whole the district is well adapted to profitable farming, and consists of beautiful flats and numerous highlands. The population of Upper Pareora is 114, and of Lower Pareora, excluding the township of St. Andrews, 515.

The Pareora Post Office has for a number of years been conducted at the residence of the local schoolmaster, by whom daily mails are received and despatched.

The Public School at Pareora was established on the 3rd of October, 1874. Of twenty acres of weil planted land attached to the school, eighteen are let to a tenant. The school building, which is of wood and iron, contains a class room and a porch. There is accommodation for eighty children; fifty-seven names are on the roll, and the average attendance is fifty-one. The teacher in charge is assisted by a mistress.

Mr. Frederick Smith, Teacher in charge of the Pareora school, was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1867. He had considerable experience as a teacher before coming to Lyttelton by the s.s. “Rimutaka,” in 1895. Mr. Smith served for two years at Sutherlands before taking up his duties at Pareora in April, 1897. He was married, in 1897, to a daughter of the late Mr. F. Samms, of Sutherlands, and has two sons.

The Wesleyan Church at Pareora is a small wood and iron building, which was erected in 1870. It has seating accommodation for 110 adults, and there is a Union Sunday school, for the benefit of all denominations, with an average attendance of sixty children, in charge of six teachers. Services are held twice each Sunday, and the minister of the Timaru circuit is in charge.

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Henderson, James, General Blacksmith, Farrier and Wheelwright, Upper Pareora. Mr. Henderson was born in the parish of Carnwath, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in January, 1842, and learned his trade under his father. In October, 1868, Mr. Henderson arrived at Port Chalmers in the ship “Schleswig Bride” from the Clyde, and worked at his trade in Oamaru four years. Settling in the Timaru district, he worked for about two years for the late Mr. John Elder, and afterwards commenced business with a partner under the style of Parson and Henderson. After six years the firm was dissolved, and Mr. Henderson found employment as a reaper and binder expert, and as a journeyman, till 1898, when he settled at Upper Pareora. As a volunteer he served in the Oamaru Rifles for three years, and under Captain Steward, now Sir W. J. Steward. Mr. Henderson was married in June, 1868, to a daughter of the late Mr. James Jameson, of Reikliston, Edinburghshire, Scotland.