Studholme is an important junction on the main line of railway from Christchurch to Dunedin. The north and south express trains meet at this point, which for the time presents a busy appearance. The station is 106 miles from Dunedin, and 124 from Christchurch, and stands at an elevation of thirty-two feet above the level of the sea. It is also the junction of the Waimate-Waihao Downs branch line. Studholme is in the Deep Creek riding of the Waimate county, and the population is set down in the census returns of 1901 at 138. Besides a railway station and post office combined, Studholme has a hotel, a general store, a blacksmith's shop, a saddler's shop, a large grain store, and a creamery. The educational needs of the district are met by the Hannaton public school, about a mile distant, and at that point there is also a small Methodist church known as Nukuroa church. Studholme was named in compliment to the Messrs Studholme, who were prosperous and public-spirited pioneers in that part of South Canterbury. The land in the district is devoted to farming, and is of the best quality.

The Studholme Junction Railway Station And Post Office was established about 1879, and is on the main south line of railway between Christchurch and Dunedin, at the point of intersection by the Waimate branch. Nine trains pass through the station daily, and the post and telegraph office is combined with railway work. The building is of wood and iron and contains five rooms, including waiting rooms. There are grain and wool sheds, and a double passenger platform at the station. Studholme is also a water station; two wells of forty-four and fifty feet respectively have been sunk, and a two-and-a-half horse-power engine is employed to pump the water to supply the tanks, which have a capacity of 20,000 gallons. The staff consists of a stationmaster, cadet and porter, one ganger and three platelayers.

Mr. Isaac William Turner, who acts as Stationmaster and Postmaster at Studholme, was born in 1868, at Lyttelton, and was educated at the borough school. He joined the Railway Department as a cadet at Lyttelton in March, 1883, and held every position up to that of stationmaster, at various places on the Auckland and Canterbury sections before taking up his duties at Studhohlme in October, 1900. As a Freemason Mr. Turner is a Past Master of Methven Lodge, No. 51, New Zealand Constitution. He was married, in 1891, to a daughter of Mr. Robert Hawarth, engineer of the Islington Freezing Works, and has one daughter.

Mr. I. W. Turner.

Hayman, John, Architect, Studholme. Mr. Hayman was born on the 24th of December, 1862, on the ship “Ivanhoe,” on her voyage to Melbourne, and was educated at Cust and Willowby, in Canterbury, New Zealand. He was brought up to country life at Ashburton, and was for some time afterwards in partnership with a brother. Having disposed of his interest, he became a Home Missionary in connection with the Methodist church. Subsequently he was connected with the Ashburton saleyards, and while so engaged he began to study as an architect. Mr. Hayman then settled at Studholme, to practise his profession. He has designed and supervised the erection of various buildings in the district. Mr. Hayman was married in 1892, to a daughter of Mr. B. Low, of Willowbridge, and has three sons.

The Studholme Creamery was opened on the 26th of December, 1901. It is the property of the North Otago Dairy Company, Limited, and is built of wood and iron. The plant consists of a six-horse power engine and boilder and an Alpha Laval separator, capable of working 440 gallons of milk per hour. Owing to the large increase of milk the company had the creamery altered in the month of June, 1903, and fitted up with a pasteurizer, a skim milk machine, and all the latest machinery. In July, 1903, there were about forty-two suppliers, and during the season the manager, Mr. W. H. Black, put through 1200 gallons of milk daily.

Cunningham, Samuel, Farmer, Studholme Junction. Mr. Cunningham was born in County Tyrone, Ireland. He was brought up to farming in the Old Country, and came to New Zealand in the ship “Taranaki,” in 1883. For twelve years he was engaged in agricultural work in the Ashburton and Rakaia districts, and was subsequently at Leeston, managing Birdlingbrook estate for the late Mr. H. J. Hall. He afterwards purchased Bangor Farm, which is near the Studholme railway station. It is all rich and good agricultural land, adapted for growing heavy root crops. His crops of wheat yield forty-five bushels per acre, and oats eighty-five bushels. Mr. Cunningham is a member of the Oddfellows' Lodge at Rakaia. He is also a member of the Timaru Presbytery, and represented Waimate district at Dunedin in the union of the Otago and Canterbury churches in 1901.

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Mr. S. Cunningham.

Dunbar Brothers (William Dunbar and Joseph Alexander Dunbar), Wainona Farm, Studholme Junction. The Messrs Dunbar are sons of Mr. David Dunbar, of Hampden, Otago. They accompanied their parents to New Zealand in 1871 in the ship “William Davie.” After residing in Dunedin for a short period they removed to Hampden, where Mr. Dunbar opened a store. In 1883, the sons started contracting and cropping at Waikakahi estate, and in 1896 they took up their present farm and another farm at Studholme. The wheat crops have yielded sixty-three bushels per acre on “Wainona,” and forty-five bushels on the other farm. Mr. William Dunbar was married, in 1888, to the only daughter of the late Mr. John McWilliam, of Hampden, and has one son and two daughters.

Mr. W. Dunbar.

Mr. J. A. Dunbar.

Frost Brothers (James and Michael Frost), Farmers, Studholme. These brothers own 245 acres of freehold land, on which their homestead stands.

Mr. James Frost was born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1840. He was brought up to country life, and came out to Victoria in June, 1863. After about three years on the Australian diggings, he came to New Zealand, and was for ten years at Maori Gully on the West Coast. He afterwards found employment at road work in Canterbury till 1888, when he settled in the Studholme district, on the land he now farms with his brother.

Mr. Michael Frost was born in 1850 in County Clare, Ireland, and came out to Victoria in 1866. He was afterwards on the West Coast of New Zealand and in Canterbury, before settling at Studholme with his brother in 1888. Mr. Frost was married, in November, 1885, to a daughter of the late Mr. Eugene Sullivan, of County Kerry, Ireland, and has three sons and three daughters.

Hayman, Walter, Farmer, “Opiro,” Studholme. Mr. Hayman was born in Somerset, England, in May, 1861. In 1863 he accompanied his parents in the ship “Ivanhoe to Melbourne, and shortly afterwards to Lyttelton. He was brought up in the Cust district. Mr. Hayman farmed in the Ashburton district from 1883 to 1897, when he bought 360 acres of the Willow Bridge estate, where he has since resided, and has erected a fine sixteen-roomed brick residence upon his property. page 1061 He served for about three years as a volunteer in the Ashburton Guards, and is now sergeant in the Studholme Mounted Rifles. Mr. Hayman was for three years a member of the Hannaton school committee, and is a member of the Waimate Agricultural and Pastoral Association. He was an early member of the Oddfellows' Order in Ashburton, but is now unattached. Mr. Hayman was married, in 1886, to a daughter of Mr. Frampton, of Willowby, and has two sons and two daughters.

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Mr. And Mrs W. Hayman.

Hunter, George, Farmer, “Turehua,” Studholme. Mr. Hunter was born at Kirkcaldie, Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1843. He was educated in his native place and brought up to an outdoor life. In 1861 he came out to Victoria, and about the end of the following year was attracted by the Otago gold diggings. After some years he settled in Oamaru, and for a year worked on Mr. E. Hassall's farm. For a short time Mr. Hunter was at the Wakamarino diggings in Marlborough, and again visited Queensland and Victoria. On his return to New Zealand, he had further experience on the goldfields, this time at the West Coast, but soon turned his attention to the timber business, and claims to have sawn the timber for one of the first houses erected on the Buller. Mr. Hunter worked as a waggoner for a number of years on the Leveis estate, and afterwards became the first cropper on that station. He was successively farming at Cave and Weedons, before settling on his present property of 400 acres freehold, in July, 1900. Mr. Hunter served for a year as a member of the Mackenzie County Council, and for three years was chairman of the Cave school committee. He was married, in 1880, to a daughter of the late Mr. Peter Cousin, of Fifeshire, Scotland. His wife died in 1897, leaving two sons and one daughter, and in November, 1898, he married a daughter of the late Mr. John Gibson, of Glasgow. The second Mrs Hunter was for eighteen years mistress of the West Melton school.

Ferrier, photo.
Mr. G. Hunter and His Dog, “Wag.”

Mitchell, John Henry, Farmer, “Kenwyn,” Studholme. Mr. Mitchell, who is a son of the late Mr. Henry Mitchell, formerly of Parkside Hotel, Dunedin and latterly farmer, of Oamaru, was born in 1886, in Dunedin, where he was educated. He served his apprenticeship in farming under his father, who in 1886 bought 750 acres of land for him, in the Studholme district, where he has since increased his holding to 1200 acres. Mr. Mitchell, like the rest of the family, has been a successful breeder of draught horses for many years, and has taken prizes at Waimate, Timaru, Oamaru, and Dunedin. He is also a well known breeder of stud Border Leicester sheep, and is the owner of a large threshing plant. As president of the Waimate Agricultural and Pastoral Association for seven years, he helped to raise it to its present prosperous state. He is now a director of the North Otago Dairy Factory, chairman of the Studholme Saleyards Company, and president of the Millowners' Association. Mr. Mitchell is chairman of the Wainono Drainage Board, of which he has been a member since 1899. He is very fond of deer-stalking, shooting and fishing, and many fine trophies of stags' heads are hung on the walls of his residence. Mr. Mitchell was married in August, 1891, to a daughter of Mr. F. Gaitt, of Waimate. His wife died in February, 1903, leaving three sons and two daughters.

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Mr. J. H. Mitchell.