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Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 September 1939, Page 11

Irrigation projects are changing desert land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers into productive farm country.

The site of the military training cam]) at Papakura, Auckland, is part of an area taken up by the late Mr Duncan McLennan in 1842 and farmed by himself and his descendants ever since. The pioneer first acquired a section of 220 acres, later adding to it another area of the same size. The price Was 10s an acre, but even so there were friends of Mr McLennan in the Auckland settlement who asked him why he had selected land so remote. Actually, during the first war troubles, Mr McLennan had to abandon the place for a time. When Mr McLennan died the farm was divided among his three sons, one of whom, Mr E. D. McLennan, formerly M.P. for Franklin, and two grandsons of the pioneer, now surrender part o'f the original property for camp purposes. The soldiers who understand what ismeant by a family having its roots on a particular soil will find special interest in the camp site, which was Tarfned by one family for 98 years.