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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Kennington

Kennington.

Kennington is the name of a postal district, which includes the townships of Clapham and Brunswick, and the district of One Tree Point. The main road from Invercargill northward through Woodlands and Edendale traverses the district, and also the Invercar-gill-Dunedin railway line. One Tree Point is the name of the flag station, six miles from Invercargill, and stands at an elevation of fifty-four feet above sea level. The district known by this name is in the Waihopai riding of the county of Southland, and, at the census of 1901, had a population of fifty-two. The township of Brunswick is also in the same riding, and had a population of eighty-three, while the township of Kennington is in the Awarua riding of the same county, and had a population of fifty-six at the last census, with an additional twelve in the immediate vicinity. The whole district is in the electorate of Awarua. The community is chiefly agricultural and pastoral, but the district has also a fellmongery, an edge-tool factory, a flaxmill, and a creamery. The public school has ninety-three names on its roll, with an average attendance of seventy-nine. A convenient public hall was erected in 1903, and there is also a Primitive Methodist church in the locality. The local post office dates from 1887, and the telephone from 1892. Two mails are received, and despatched, daily, at Kennington.

Irving, J. And J. (Joseph Irving, proprietor), Blacksmiths and Edge Tool Makers, Kennington; Cutlery Works, Kennington. This firm was established in 1897 by Messrs Joseph and John Irving, but the latter retired in 1903. The premises. which measure 60 feet by 40 feet, stand on a freehold section of half an acre, and contain three forges, a five horsepower engine and boiler, emery stones, boring and other machinery. All kinds of edge tools are manufactured, including hedge-slashers, bush-hooks, bill-hooks, firemen's hatchets, and other implements. The output is sold chiefly to wholesale merchants throughout the colony.

Mr. Joseph Irving was Lorn in 1864, in Victoria, and has resided in New Zealand since he was two years
Mr. J. Irving.

Mr. J. Irving.

old. He was educated at Roslyn Bush, and followed farming until starting his present business untill 1897.

Matheson, J. And Company (John Matheson, proprietor) Fellmongers and Wool Scourers, One Tree Point, Kennington. This fellmongery was originally established by Mr Matheson in conjunction with a partner in 1888, at Woodlands, but in 1894 the firm acquired a freehold of eight acres on the banks of the Waihopai river. There are extensive wood and iron buildings, including wool sorting, scouring and washing, drying and packing and pulling departments. A tramway connects the works with the One Tree Point railway station. The pelts are cured and packed in casks for the London market. The plant includes a patent hydro-extractor, a brick drying kiln heated by coke fuel, and the necessary machinery for curing pelts. There are three large drying floors, each seventy-five feet by thirty feet in measurement, and about thirteen men are regularly employed. From 1,500 to 2,000 bales of wool, and 200 casks of pelts, are turned out of the works yearly.

Mr. John Matheson , Sole Proprietor, of the firm of J. Matheson and Co, was born in November, 1858, at Mauritius. His father was a sea captain, and landed at Port Chalmers with his family in 1862. Mr Matheson was educated at Kakanui, where he was brought up as a fellmonger. With a partner, he established his present business in 1888, but has conducted it on his own account since 1892. Mr Matheson has been a member of the Kennington school committee since 1898, and has acted as secretary most of the time. He was married, in February, 1892, to a
Gerstenkorn, photo.Mr. J. Matheson,

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mr. J. Matheson,

daughter of the Rev. Thomas Alexander, of Woodlands, and has three sons, and one daughter.

Kennington Flaxmill (William Cruikshank, proprietor), Kennington. This mill was established in 1902, and the building, which is of wood and iron, stands on a site of thirty acres of leasehold. There is a complete plant, which is driven by a sixteen horse-power engine, and twelve men are employed. The output of the mill supplies the Rosedale Twine Factory, which is referred to elsewhere in this volume. Mr Henry Bloomfield is manager of the mill.

Dawson, Arthur William , Farmer, “Brunswick,” Kennington. Mr Dawson was born in April, 1856, in Tasmania, where he was brought up to farming. In 1877 he came to Southland with his father, the late Mr page 1057 J. H. Dawson, with whom he worked at the sawmilling trade. In 1893, Mr Dawson bought 100 acres of land at Kennington, to which he added a further thirty-eight acres in 1901, when he also bought eighty acres of the Seaward Bush estate. Mr Dawson was manager of the Mabel Bush sawmill for sixteen years, but he has devoted himself to farming since 1903.
Gerstenkorn, photo.Mr. And Mrs A. Dawson.

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mr. And Mrs A. Dawson.

He was married, in October, 1880, to a daughter of Mr Christopher Bonnie, of One Tree Point, and has five sons and two daughters.

Harris, Richard , Easthope, Farm, Mill Road, Kennington. Mr Harris was born in 1851, in Shropshire, England, where he was educated and brought up to farming. He came to New Zealand by the ship “Jessie Readman,” in 1874, and was employed for the next two years at Powell-town, South Invercargill. Subsequently he resided at Otatara Bush, and at Five Rivers and Dome. In 1881, Mr Harris settled at Mill Road, where he purchased an acre and three-quarters of land, on which he has built his homestead, and he now owns 186 acres of freehold, and 139 acres of leasehold, land, on which he conducts a large dairy business. Thirty-five cows are in milk and two carts are employed in delivering the milk in Invercargill. Mr Harris was for a time a member of the Order of Druids. He was married, in 1876, to a daughter of Mr Thomas Hughes, of Richmond Grove, Invercargill, and has six sons and eight daughters.

Gerstenkorn, photo.Mb. And Mrs R. Harris.

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mb. And Mrs R. Harris.

Shand, John Thomas , Settler, Kennington. Mr Shand was born in 1852, at Cabrach, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where he was brought up to farming. He came to New Zealand in 1875, worked on a farm at Centre Bush for four or five years, and then started sawmilling in the Winton district. A few years later, Mr Shand acquired a farm at Benmore, in the same district, but gave it up to take a property at Myross Bush, where he remained for six years. In 1898 Mr Shand gave up farming, and came to reside at Kennington, where he has been a member of the school committee since his arrival in the district. He was married, in 1880, to Miss Brown, of County Galway, Ireland, and has four sons and two daughters.

Welsh, John , Farmer, One Tree Point, Kennington. Mr Welsh was born at Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland, and went to sea at an early age in the barque “Mary Queen of Scots.” He left the sea about 1856, landed in Melbourne, and started work as a waggoner on the roads in Victoria. After spending six years at this work, Mr Welsh came to New Zealand, and was at the Gabriel's Gully, Fox's, and Nokomai diggings. In 1863, he removed to Southland, and was for about eight years on the Croydon, Knapdale, and Wantwood stations, before taking up his present property of 140 acres at Kennington, in 1871. Mr Welsh married a daughter of the late Mr D. Morton, of Oteramika Gorge, but his wife died some years ago.

Gerstenkorn, photo.Mr. J. Welsh.

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mr. J. Welsh.

Wilson, William , Farmer, “Mount Pleasant,” One Tree Point, Kennington. Mr Wilson's father is a very old resident of the district, and the tree from which the district is named stood on his farm of ninety-five acres, which his son now holds. Mr W. Wilson was born at One Tree Point in 1865, educated at the Rimu school, and brought up on his father's farm. He has spent all his life on this farm, which is part of a much larger area selected by his father. Mr Wilson has been a member of Court Star of the South, Ancient Order of Foresters, Invercargill, for about seventeen years. He was married, in 1887, to a daughter of Mr Hugh Harris, farmer, Limehills, and has a family of four sons and four daughters.

Mr. John Henry Dawson , who was well known in Southland as a sawmiller and farmer, was born in Tasmania, in 1837, soon after his father landed in that colony. He engaged in farming pursuits till 1877, when he came to Southland and took up eighty acres of land at Seaward Bush. In 1884, he purchased thirty-eight acres at Brunswick, Kennington, where he erected a sawmill, connecting it with his property at Seaward Bush by tramway. When the bush on both properties had been cut, Mr Dawson worked the land as a mixed farm, until his death at the end of 1900. He was married, in 1855, to Miss Thompson, of Tasmania. His wife died in 1891, leaving six sons and seven daughters.