The Conquerors

Southland Times, Issue 22159, 30 October 1933, Page 12

The Conquerors

Saga of the Stations

(By

the Wanderer.)

DUNROBIN. CHRISTOPHER BASSTIAN. (1857—1894.) And in their care they keep, these country men Bewildered lives of sheep—these country men— Of lumbering beasts with eyes that stare Darkly on death and on despair; Of young things frolicsome: Of old things worn and dumb; Short lives inchronicled by pen— Friends, pray for our Country Men. (Adapted from Fay Inchfawn.)

Mr Basstian seems to have incurred great losses of stock between 1860-1862 for with sheep affected with the dread disease, “the Doze,” and the cattle dying with “ Pluer”, he had a great deal of worry and the winter of 1861 was exceptionally severe, with much snow and frost, and in the spring, when the warm winds swept over the land, there were very heavy floods. When the mustering was completed they found that more than half the sheep had perished. Shearing was late up country in those days, for they used to consider that the summer weather never started till after Christmas, and the majority of the station people did not start shearing till January. However, in this case the darkest days were just before the dawn of prosperity, for the Gold Rush began in New Zealand and trains of waggons drawn by bullocks and hefty Clydesdale horses were travelling through the country from the ports of Riverton and the Bluff. People were buying up sheep from the squatters and giving them ten shillings a quarter, or two pounds per sheep, and oats and chaff brought from ten to eighteen pounds a ton. The FrancoPrussian War was also raging, and prices had soared high for wool, wheat and oats, for it’s an ill wind that blows no one good. Like others of the squatters Mr Basstian kept as a hobby a few fine rabbits imported from Home, and these pets were fed with cabbages and lettuce from the garden twice a day. Like many others in the dark days to come when the reign of the rabbits set in, Mr Basstian deplored the fact that these destructive rodents had ever been liberated .in New Zealand or Southland. As well as possessing . a large estate like Dunrobin, Mr Basstian in 1870 secured north of Longbush, another run which he improved and occupied under the name of Woodstock. In 1880 Mr Basstian, finding that his area was too vast, had Dunrobin surveyed and sub-divided and he sold two parcels of land between 1880 and 1882. The Southern portion he disposed of to the Montgomery Spencers, and they called their place Etalvale after the Etal Creek which ran through their property, and over the river nearby Dunrobin, he sold land to the Tarlton Brothers. They called their place Glenelg, after the suburb in Adeaide whence they came.

Mr Basstian’s good luck then began to desert him, for after the gold rush had died down, and the European Wars had ended, prices started slowly but surely to decrease, and added to the troubles of the country-men was the reign of the rabbits which had started in Southland. There was no known remedy for this great evil. The native grasses and mountain pastures were almost entirely exterminated, and the sheep-carrying capacity of the country was decreased about fifty per cent, and instead of so many sheep to the acre, it became a question of how many acres to the sheep. Old pioneers say that the rabbit plague was such a menace, that when driving from up country down to Invercargill or Riverton, their buggies would be held up while a brown mass consisting of hordes of rabbits crossed the roads. Mr Johnston of Annandale and Captain Raymond of Avondale put poisoned pollard and poisoned oats on the market, and at first these remedies resulted in a great decrease of the plague, especially when laid down in the winter months when the snow was on the ground; but after a while these measures did not prove so effective. Mr Basstian also liberated wallabies on the Dunrobin estate, but they failed to increase in great numbers like the rabbit tribe, and it is reported that the last wallaby to be seen on the run was captured by a rabbiter’s dog about 1881. In 1875 Southland passed through a most severe winter; much snow with deep drifts in the valleys and lowlands, severe frosts, and then heavy floods in the spring. All this severe weather made such heavy havoc among the sheep that though in 1874 they had shorn 25,000 sheep at Dunrobin, in 1875, when the musterers went out they only brought in 12,000 sheep. In 1878 came the Old Man Flood which almost ruined Southland, and the Southern runholders from Taieri to the extreme south of Southland. It began to snow in July and snowed right on till the beginning of October. All through the snow period there were intense frosts but at length the shepherds went out and shifted sheep and cattle to the lowlands. Then came the warm spring winds, which melted the snow and brought down on Southland and Otago South the greatest flood that has ever been known in New Zealand. In 1861 and 1874 there had been large floods, but 1878 saw the . land swept by a huge sea bearing on its tide horses, cattle, sheep, buildings and stacks of winter feed, and when at length the raging waters subsided, it was discovered that many human lives were lost as well, for settlers with more courage than caution had gone out and endeavoured to save their stock. Huge heaps of spoil collected at the rivers’ mouths, and were strewn on the beaches and thousands of Southland’s best stock were washed out into the ocean. Settlers went out of their holdings with empty hands for many had been completely ruined. In 1879 and 1880 the province of Southland was in a very bad way, for many partly constructed railways and newly-made roads had been entirely destroyed in the Old Man Flood. The province possessed a huge public debt and very few settlers to help pay the interest on that huge debt. The railway had meanwhile been constructed as far as The Elbow—the present, site of Lumsden. At that time The Elbow was just a settlement of tents erected by the men constructing the railway, and there was no township at all at Mossbum. The Elbow was afterwards re-named Lumsden, after Mr Lumsden senior, who was always a great public worker for Southland and had been a former member of the Provincial Council of Southland. Afterwards when Lumsden for a time became the terminus of the railway line, it went ahead with a rapid mushroom growth, and became quite an important and flourishing township. Though a very heavy loser by the Old Man Flood Mr Basstian never for a moment seemed to lose his faith in the land, or in the ultimate future of Southland. He re-stocked Dunrobin with a heavier and more robust type of sheep than the half-bred Merinos, Mr Basstian with other public men of Southland, advocated and instituted a great advertising scheme whereby Southland again put forth in New Zealand, Australian and Tasmanian papers the wonderful fertility of the province,

the easy terms whereby this land could be acquired and the deferred system payments. They specially appealed to the men with the small capital who desired to become landowners. This great publicity scheme attracted many men from Australia who were afterwards to leave their mark in the province, and amongst them were Mr Patrick McCaughan, Ellis Brothers, Mr Bell of Wantwood, Captain Gardner of Birchwood, the Tarlton Brothers, who bought part of Dunrobin and called their place Glenelg, Mr Vinning, who took over Belmont and Mr John Tenant, who purchased Heddon Bush. From North Otago came Mr Cotton Rowley, who acquired Avondale, and the Montgomery Spencers who bought part of Dunrobin and called their run Etalvale after the stream which rims through that property. However much Mr Basstian had in hand, he was never too busy to battle for Southland and the people and was always ready to spend himself freely on their behalf. He was one of the original members of the Southland Provincial Council and was afterwards the member of Parliament for Wallace. He was on the County Council from its formation and was its chairman for some time. He was one of the early members of Southland’s Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and was one of the Southland Hospital Trustees right up to the time of his death.

He also inherited the British love of sport and fair plaj' and liked a good horse. He was for a time president of the Invercargill Club and was also a very prominent member of the Acclimatization Society. Mr Basstian was also among the early promotors of the Riverton Racing Club, and both bred and imported some splendid horses, which would compete in both flat and hurdle races. He was also a supporter and member of the Birchwood Hunt Club, and many of the old time sporting people were right royally entertained at Dunrobin, for the sporting clan of Southland were a most friendly and hospitable crowd. He held Dunrobin until a few months prior to his death in Invercargill in 1895. The Southland people all realized that they had lost a great man and a good citizen, for he had never failed at all times, even when near the end, when ill-health claimed him, to give courtesy and kindness to all creeds and classes. The Victorian age has been held up to ridicule in this 20th century, so also has the much maligned title of gentlemen; nevertheless a great deal was expected from people who claimed to be gentlefolk in the old times. They were expected to preserve a stoic serenity under all circumstances, and to show respect, deference and kindness to servants and dependents. Like Caeser’s wife they must be above suspicion and prepared to give freely of their substance and themselves for the sake of their church, their country and their friends. Perhaps these old ideas were rather rigid and exacting, and there were many humbugs in the ranks; but the high standard set in the Victorian age produced many outstanding men in politics, poetry, fiction and the churches, and not least among them all were the British pioneers, who, like old Atlas, shouldered the hardships and the burdens of the new countries in the Empire. They blazed the trail, and did much of the spade-w’ork in New Zealand, especially in Southland where our founders were all picked men, and great gentlemen under the most extenuating circumstances. In the days to come we will have erected a Hall of Memories, where the founders of Southland will gaze down on the present generation and inspire them on also to great and glorious efforts for their country.

MANY OWNERS. (1895—1933.) After Mr Christopher Basstian’s death Dunrobin fell into the hands of Dalgety’s, with Hamilton Burn, which had been a part of Dunrobin until 1895, and also Beaumont, which had been acquired by that company from Captain Stevens. Dalgety’s engaged as manager Mr R. K. Smith, who was assisted by his brother, Mr Les Smith, now of Mona Vale, Fairlie, and Mr McDonald, who has since acquired the homestead block at Beaumont. The late Mr R. K. Smith was a wonderfully progressive man, always willing to try out new ideas and systems, and, being of an extremely practical nature, his modern theories usually proved successful. Mr R. K. Smith put Dunrobin, Beaumont and Hamilton Burn into very good order and sold Dunrobin to Mr Hugh McLean. Mr Smith, while managing these three stations, met and married Miss Elizabeth, a daughter of Mrs and the late Mr John Cotton Rowley, of Avondale. The young couple lived at Hamilton Burn ami there the first child was born. When Mr McLean took over Dunrobin, the old home still stood, but Mr McLean built a new house on the banks of the Aparima about a mile from the original Dunrobin residence. Mr McLean only remained three years at Dunrobin and then sold out to a syndicate comprising Messrs R. K. Smith, R. H. Bissett and Duncan Rose. Mr Rose took over the management of Dunrobin and brought his wife with him; Mrs Rose was Nelly, daughter of Mr Middleton who was manager for the Hon. Robert Campbell and Sons, of Benmore Station, in Waitaki, North Otago.

Mr R. H. Bissett bought out the station from Messrs Smith and Rose and lived at the station until it. was purchased by Mr Andrew Christie of Glencaim Station, Dipton. Mr Christie held Dunrobin until 1914, when for health reasons he decided to sell out and go up north. In Mr Christie’s tenure Dunrobin comprised 3000 acres freehold and 14,000 acres leasehold. Dunrobin was again in the market and the station was submitted to auction and the lease was purchased by Mr Donald McLennan, who was there three years w’hen he sold out to Messrs Swift and Denny, who held it for ten years until on March 19, 1929 it was purchased by the present owner, Major William N. Bond who saw service in the Great War. The rabbits which were once pets and fed and fostered had increased to such a rate that they threatened to over run Dunrobin, but Major Bond has put up a big fight against these rodents with the result that the sheep-carrying capacity of the land has much increased. Most of the land included in the homestead block is too light to be suitable for agriculture; but it is quite good sheep country which struggles with the difficulty of the late spring.. However, like the other country men in that district, Major Bond has begun to grow fescue, and has changed the halfbred flock which was on Dunrobin when he took it over into a splendid flock of prime Romneys, which thrive very well in this district. The family consider one of the greatest assets of Dunrobin has been the recently-erected bridge over the Jacob’s River which was completed some eighteen months ago and brings them into touch with the rest of the world. Times are bad just now in Southland but withal there are neither the droughts of Canterbury, nor the pests of the North Island, and all over Southland are splendid roads, and even the outback homes have the electric light and power; very different from the conditions of the pioneers of seventy years ago, who travelled in bullock carts at a rate of three to four miles an hour to their wattle and daub huts, and their camp ovens. Major and Mrs Bond both take a great interest in the homestead and the garden which is all greatly improved since their arrival. Since Dunrobin has been drained and cultivated, it is considered great grazing country, and prime Here-

ford cattle and Romney sheep thrive on the well-watered pastures. Then we marched with ringing footstep! looking gaily to the fore. But now with wistful-dreamy glances, we look back to days of yore. If the Spirits of the Dead re-visit Earth for weal or woe. We might fancy they will join us, those dear friends of long ago. Husht Who knows what ghostly comrades ’ may have come with noiseless feet. In the old familiar friendliness, to make our band complete. (From Anonym.) (Conclusion of Dunrobin.)