Windsor (or Windsor Junction as the railway flag station is called) is thirteen miles from Oamaru, twelve from Tokarahi and four from Ngapara by rail. The station is 278 feet above sea level, and two trains arrive and depart daily; the terminal stations beyond having each two trains daily on only four days of the week. The village of Windsor lies about half a mile off the main road between Oamaru and Ngapara, and the same road passes the Elderslie, Windsor Park, and Corriedale estates. In 1876 the railway line was extended to Ngapara, and the branch to Tokarahi was opened in 1893. There is a public school at Windsor on the hill overlooking the valley, and Presbyterian church services are conducted, alternately in the mornings and evenings, each Sunday. A creamery adjoins the railway station, and the business of the postal and telegraph department is conducted at the local store. There is also a blacksmith's shop. There are a number of freehold farmers in the vicinity, and portions of the Windsor Park and Elderslie estates are held by settlers who are rapidly developing their properties. The land is rich agricultural soil, with limestone underlying, and has an undulating surface.

The Windsor Post Office And Telephone Bureau is conducted at the store of Mr. Richard Taylor, who is more fully referred to in another article. The Port Office was opened in 1879, and telephone connection was established in 1898. Two mails are received and despatched daily.

The Windsor Public School was founded about 1890, and the settlers contributed towards the original cost of the site. The building is of wood and iron, and has accommodation for about seventy pupils. There are fifty-two names on the roll, and the average attendance is about forty. The teacher in charge, Miss Elizabeth Gow Christie, is the youngest daughter of the Rev. John Christie, for nearly forty years Presbyterian minister at Waikouaiti, where she was born. Miss Christie, who holds a D 3 certificate, has been in charge at Windsor since 1896.

Taylor, Richard , General Store-keeper and Farmer, Windsor. Mr. Taylor was born in Paris, his early education was received in France, and as a child he spoke the language. He afterwards removed with his parents to Ireland, and for eight years was at Cork, where he was brought up to the business of a mineral water manufacturer. He came to Port Chalmers by the ship “James Nicol Fleming,” in 1876, and transhipped to Oamaru. Mr. Taylor settled at once in the Windsor district, and established his present business in 1879. The premises consist of a double-fronted shop, built of wood and iron, with a residence at the back, and there is a section of three-quarters of an acre of land. Mr. Taylor also holds thirty acres of freehold on the hill adjoining, and fifty acres of leasehold land. The business of the Post Office and Telephone Bureau is conducted at the store. Mr. Taylor helped to found the local public school, and served as a member of the committee for many years, during part of which he was chairman. He was married, in 1875, to a daughter of Mr. James Joyce, of Cork. Ireland, but his wife died in 1896, leaving two sons and five daughters. The eldest son was a member of the First and Sixth New Zealand Contingents in South Africa, and is now in charge of a Government depot in South Africa.

Mr. R. Taylor and the late Mrs Taylor.

“Armmore” (Egerton Humphries Reid, proprietor), Windsor. This property, which consists of 900 acres of freehold, is worked as a mixed farm. A stud flock of Lincoln and English Leicester sheep from the best imported and colonial strains is kept on the estate, as well as a small herd of pure Alderney cattle.

Mr. E. H. Reid , the Proprietor, is the sixth son of Mr. John Reid, of Elderslie, where he was born in 1875. He was educated at Blairlogie, Scotland, and at Christ's College, Christchurch, and about 1898 commenced farming on his own account at “Arnmore.” Mr. Reid was married, in July, 1901, to a daughter of the late Mr. Edmund Gibson, of Waitangi station, Waitaki, and has one daughter.

Mr. E. H. Reid.

Balruddery (John Reid, proprietor is situated five miles west of Windsor. The estate comprises 18,500 acres of freehold land, which lies mostly in the Inchholme riding of the county of Waitaki, on the west bank of the Kakanui river, which bounds the property for about fourteen miles. The house is on the east side of the river, opposite the homestead, with which it is connected by a private suspension bridge. About page 483 15,000 sheep are carried on the property, and besides crossbreds there are large stud flocks of English Leicesters, Shropshires and Vermont Merinos.

Mr. Charles William Reid , Manager of Balruddery, is the third son of Mr. John Reid, of Elderslie, and was born in Dunedin, in 1865. He was educated at the Otago Boys' High School, was brought up to pastoral pursuits by his father, and became manager of the pastoral department of the Elderslie estate in 1887. In 1901, on the death of Mr. Angus Polson, who had managed Balruddery since its was purchased in 1879, Mr. Reid assumed the management of the property. He served for a time in the Otago Hussars, and, later on, in the North Otago Mounted Rifles, in which he held a commission as flieutenant for seven years. Mr. Reid is a member of the North Otago Jockey Club, of which he was president in 1903, and is also a member of the South Island Council of the New Zealand Sheepbreeders' Association. He was married, in 1894, to a daughter of Mr. G. L. Sise, Dunedin.

Irvine, Joseph , Farmer, Five Roads Farm, Windsor. Mr. Irvine was born in 1868. in County Antrim, Ireland, where he was trained as a farmer. He arrived at Lyttelton by the S.S. “Tongariro” in 1883, and after two years in Auckland settled in the Oamaru district, where he found employment as a ploughman, and afterwards became a shepherd on Waitangi station. He subsequently held similar positions at Te Akatarawa and Kuriheka, and in 1900 he drew a section of 366 acres on the Elderslie settlement. Mr. Irvine has erected a homestead and effected many improvements on his property. He was married, in 1900, to a daughter of the late Mr. Archibald Johnston, of Maheno, and has two daughters.

Livingstone, George , Farmer, “Te Kainga,” Windsor. “Te Kainga” was originally part of the Elderslie estate, and consists of 612 acres, held under a lease in perpetuity. The land is devoted to grazing and cropping, and in the season of 1903 the wheat crop averaged forty-nine bushels, and the oats over eighty bushels per acre. The property has been greatly improved by the erection of a very fine residence, together with outbuildings, and the construction of a great deal of fencing. Mr. Livingstone, the proprietor, is further referred to as a member of the Waitaki County Council.

Mohan and Muir, photo.
Mr. and Mrs G. Livingstone.

Mr. G. Livingstone's Residence.

McCone, William , Farmer, Windsor. Mr. McCone was born in 1865, at Carrick-fergus, County Antrim, Ireland. He came to Port Chalmers by the ship “Auckland” in 1880, and was brought up to country life by his father, who is a farmer in the Otiake district. Mr. McCone started farming and contracting in that neighbourhood in 1888, and was subsequently engaged in cropping on his own account for two years. In 1900 he became one of the first selectors on the Elderslie estate, drawing a section of ninety-six acres, under a lease in perpetuity. He has erected a cottage on his property and has effected considerable improvements. Mr. McCone was married, on the 7th of September, 1898, to a daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Moreton, of Staffordshire, England, and has two sons and one daughter.

Slattery Brothers (John Slattery and Michael Slattery), Farmers, Windsor. This firm owns 130 acres of freehold land, which is devoted to mixed farming; and in the season of 1903 oats on the property yielded about sixty bushels to the acre.

Mr. John Slattery , the Senior Partner, was born in 1870, in County Limerick, Ireland, and has had farming experiences in various parts of New Zealand.

Mr. Michael Slattery was born in 1871 in County Limerick, Ireland, and came to Lyttelton with his parents by the ship “Glenmark” in the following year. He was brought up to country life in the Halswell district, and in 1890 removed to Ashburton, where he found employment, and subsequently had five years' experience at Kimbolton (Birmingham) in the Wellington district, where he was farming bush land. For three years afterwards Mr. Slattery was farming in the Pahiatua district, and in June, 1901, he and his brother bought their farm at Windsor.

Smith, Edward Sturrock , Farmer, Windsor. Mr. Smith was born at Christchurch, in 1862, and educated at Temuka, where he gained his first experience in farming. He took up land in Southland, in 1892, and four years later removed to the Ngapara district, where he farmed for five years, before acquiring his present property which was originally part of the Elderslie estate. The land, which is 700 acres in extent, is held under a lease in perpetuity. It is devoted to agriculture and the raising of stock. Mr. Smith has erected a very fine residence, with convenient out-buildings, and the land has already been subdivided into seven large paddocks. Mr. Smith served for two years in the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry, and for fourteen years in the Temuka Rifles. While at Temuka he was for several years a member of the Order of Oddfellows, and is at present connected with the Protestant Alliance in Oamaru. As a Freemason he was initiated in Lodge St. George, Temuka, and is attached to Lodge Ngapara, No. 68, New Zealand Constitution. Mr. Smith was also a member of the Ngapara school committee for three page 484 years. He was married, in March, 1890, to a daughter of Mr. William Hopkinson, of Temuka, and has two sons and five daughters.

Mohan and Muir, photo.
Mr. and Mrs E. S. Smith.

Watson, Samuel Collinson , Farmer. Windsor Farm, Windsor. Mr. Watson is the youngest son of one of Canterbury's pioneer settlers, the late Mr. W. M. Watson, of Upper Riccarton, near Christchurch, where he was born in 1869. He was educated at Upper Riccarton, and worked on one of his father's farms before starting on his own account at Ladbrooks in the Lincoln district, in 1891. After about eight years' experience there Mr. Watson sold out to one of his brothers and bought his present farm at Windsor Junction, between the Tokaráhi and Ngapara branch lines of railway. The property consists of 565 acres of freehold, originally part of the Windsor Park estate, and is mostly rolling downs of strong limestone land, admirably adapted for dairying and agricultural farming. In the season of 1903 the wheat crop averaged sixty-one bushels, and some eighty acres of oats yielded nearly 100 bushels to the acre. A fine homestead and outbuildings have been erected on the property. During his residence in Canterbury, Mr. Watson was a director of the Central Dairy Factory, for about five years. In 1902 he was one of the committee appointed to investigate the affairs of the North Otago Dairy Company, of which he is now a director. He was also one of the provisional directors of the North Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association, and has been chairman of the Windsor school committee for three years. Mr. Watson was married, in 1892, to a daughter of Mr. Robert Blake, of Papanui, Christchurch, and has three sons and one daughter.

Mohan and Muir, photo.
Mr. and Mrs S. C. Watson.

Williams, Joseph , Farmer, Tapui Homestead, Windsor. Mr. Williams was born at Llanthewy Vach, near Pontypool, Monmouthshire, England, in 1844. His father being a farmer, he was also brought up to farming. Mr. Williams left England in September, 1866, arrived in Adelaide on the 1st of January, 1867, and remained in South Australia four years. He then visited New Zealand, and made up his mind to try farming in the colony, and settled in the Oamaru district, on Mount Pleasant farm, for some years. In 1878 he bought Whitstone estate, of about 400 acres, and farmed it for twenty-two years. During that time he was elected to represent the Waiareka riding on the Waitaki County Council, of which he was a member for nine years. Mr. Williams was also a member of the Oamaru Harbour Board, Licensing Committee, the Waiareka school committee, and also of the North Otago Pastoral and Agricultural Assosiation, for many years. In 1890 he was president of the Agricultural Association, and has also been a member of other public bodies. Mr. Williams bought Tapui station in 1899. It consists of 3800 acres of freehold and 2000 acres of leasehold; and he has now turned his attention to sheep farming. He visited England and Scotland in 1886. Mr. Williams was married, in 1871, to a daughter of the late Mr. Lachlan McFadyen, of South Australia, and has three sons and seven daughters.