CROWN LANDS FOR FUTURE SETTLEMENT. (STATEMENT OF AREAS AND LOCALITIES.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1885 Session I, C-05

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1885. NEW ZEALAND.

CROWN LANDS FOR FUTURE SETTLEMENT. (STATEMENT OF AREAS AND LOCALITIES.)

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of Sis Excellency.

Memorandum for the Hon. the Minister of Lands. Befeebing to the question of opening Crown lands for future settlement, the accompanying statement of areas and localities will show in what direction efforts should be made to keep up a supply of suitable Crown lands for selection in districts throughout the colony, James McKebeow, General Survey Office, Wellington, 20th July, 1885. Surveyor-General.

Ceown Lands already available for Settlement, or which could easily be made so by Survey and opening of Road-lines.

Auckland. Acres. 1. North of Hokianga .. .. 20,000 Hilly bush land, with good valleys, very well adapted for fruit-growing and dairy-farms, from twelve to twenty miles from Herd's Point, Hokianga, by bridle-track, which could be made a good dray-road. Steamer once a week from Herd's Point to Auckland. 2. Head of Kaihu Valley, Mau- 100,000 About 8,000 acres open, the rest bush with some valuable kauri. The nganui Bluff, and Waiuku most accessible part of this country, including the open, is withplateau held for the purpose of being given to the promoters of the Kaihu Eailway from Dargaville. The country is very well adapted for small settlers. The open country is surveyed, and a good bridletrack is formed through it, on grades which will admit of widening track into dray-road. This country would have been settled on two years ago, had the land not been withhold for railway. 3. Between Kawakawa and 100,000 A fine extent of open and wooded country, includes the extensive and Whacgarei valuable kauri forest of Puhipuhi. A good road, recently formed runs through from Whangarei to Kawakawa. Gum-digging is a principal industry. There is room for a large accession of settlers in this district, which is particularly well adapted I :>r fruit-growing. 4. West of Huntly and Churchill, 100,000 Hilly bush country, suitable for settlers occupying >: i0 to 600 acres; Waikato road-lines surveyed in from Huntly and Churchill, and bridletracks formed. A few thousand acres surveyed, and settlers gradually going in. 5. South of Maketu and in and 50,000 Open fern country, 20,000 acres surveyed, and cart-road formed towards Eotorua through land ; land suitable for holdings of 100 to 1,000 acres. It is all withheld at present, and for the last two years, in connection with proposed Tauranga-Botorua Eailway, 6. North of Gisborne, Waimata 40,000 Open and woodland country, very well adapted for arable and pastoral and Arikihi farms of about 600 acres and upwards. Eoad formed into the Waimata Block, but not into the Arikihi. 7. South of Gisborne, on road-line 40,000 Open country with bush in gullies, about one-fourth suitable for farms Gisborne to Wairoa, under 300 acres, remainder in larger holdings up to, say, 2,000 acres. Hawke's Bay Several thousand acres surveyed and now open for selection. Total for Auckland .. 450,000 Taba^aki. 8. Near Opunako, Eltham Eoad 20,000 Level bush land, from six to fifteen miles from Opunake by a level line of road, which requires more formation for winter-traffic. The land is at present withheld for special settlements. Behind Mount Egmont and 100,000 Bush land, very well adapted for small settlers, but requires roads to mostly east of railway-line, open it.out. and in the Waitara Valley Total for Taranaki .. 120,000

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Ceown Lands available for Settlement, &c.— continued.

Hawke's Bay. Acres. 10. Tautane Bush and other 80,000 Tautane Bush, situated in south-east corner of Hawke's Bay, is a hilly Crown lands adjacent to bush country, on limestone, excellent soil, but, on account of broken railway irregular surface, better adapted for grazing-farms than for cultivation. About 20,000 acres now under survey. Eoad-formation also in hand. Will be readily taken up when offered. 11. Border of Hawke's Bay and 20,000 Fern country with patches of bush. About 16,000 acres surveyed into Auckland sections of about 1,000 acres each. Suitable for small sheep-farms. Bather inferior. Total for Hawke's Bay 100,000 Wellington. 12. From Masterton to Woodville, 200,000 Bush land of excellent quality, very well adapted for small settlers. taking in country east and A good deal has been done and is still in progress in connecting west the back blocks with main road and railway, by opening out crossroads. This land is now being rapidly taken up. IS. Along line of Wellington- GO,000 Well adapted for small settlers, mostly bush. The disposal is in the Manawatu Bailway hands of railway company. 14. Wanganui Harbour Endow- 20,000 Bush land, suitable for small settlers if more opened out by roads. ment and adjacent Crown The endowment land is disposed of by Land Board according to lands Land Act. 15. Wanganui District..,. .. 20,000 Bugged bush land, good soil, adapted for cattle- and sheep-farms. About 10,000 acres surveyed ; roads much wanted. Total for Wellington .. 300,000 Nelson. 16. Hanmer Plains .. .. l,7G0 This is the hot-springs reserve ; it contains 2,5G0 acres, but 800 acres is leased to Mr. Fry, of the accommodation-house. The land will do very well for small dairy-farms once the railway is made to the Red Post, and the springs become, as they soon will, a place of great public resort. IT. Tadmor Valley .. .. 10,000 Good bush soil, surveyed and opened out by road; would be readily taken up by sons of old settlers, but it is withheld for East and West Coast Bailway. 18. West Coast: the country be- 30,000 Level or slightly undulating woodland country, good soil, but very twoen Grey Valley and sodden in places with wet; suitable for cattle- and dairy-farms. Teremakau, and to the Beserved at present for East and West Coast Bailway. north and east of Lake Brunner Total for Nelson .. 41,760 Mablborough. 19. Bai Valley and its tributaries 10,000 All bush, but good soil, and very well adapted for small dairy-and - cattle-farms ; requires opening by roads. Canterbury. 20. Between Hakateramea and 10,000 Excellent grass-land, suitable for sheep-farms from 500 to 2,000 Waihou acres. Altitude from 1,500ft. to 3,000ft. 21. Mackenzie Country.. .. 100,000 Open grsss-land, good soil, grows oats and root-crops well. Altitude from 1,500ft. to 2,000ft. Would do in dairy- and stock-farms from 200 to 2,000 acres. 22. Oxford and Waimakariri .. 10,000 Good open grass-land, well suited for farms of 200 to 300 acres; about 2,000 acres recently taken up on deferred-payments. The drawback hitherto to the occupation of this country was the want of water, but that has in great measure been removed by water-race from Eyre River, constructed at a cost of £3,500. 23. Upper Ashley and Kukii Pass 30,000 Well-grassed valleys and hills, suitable for sheep-farms of 500 to 2,000 acres. 24. Blocks of unsold land along 30,000 Open country, hilly, but good soil; would do very well for sheep-farms south side of Hanmer Biver, of 500 to 2,000 acres. Partly surveyed, and near Wairaki from sea inland forty miles Total for Canterbury .. 180,000 Otago. 25. Tautuku Forest and open 100,000 This extensive country has a frontage of forty miles to the coast-line, country on Waikawa Bivor and has two very fair harbours for coastal steamers, Waikawa Harbour especially being both very safe and commodious. Catlin's Biver is also agood harbour for saw-mill and district trade. The settlement of Tautuku and Waikawa has been neglected principally because there has hitherto been so much open land to choose from; but attention is now being turned to it, and some opening-up has recently been done by roads. The country is alternate ridge and valley, and would do very well for cattle- and dairy-farms, and for fishermen on the coast, as, in addition to the harbours mentioned, there are several boat-harbours. 26. Nenthom and Strath-Taieri, 80,000 Well-grassed land, from 600ft. to 2,000ft. altitude, well adapted for and Deep Dale Bun (part of) farms from 200 to 5,000 acres—one-half for agriculture, and the other half for pasture. This country has been shut out from Dunedin and the coast by intervening hills. On the opening of the Otago Central Bailway it will only be from forty to fifty miles from Dunedin by rail.

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Crown Lands available for Settlement, &c.— continued.

Otago— continued. Acres. 27. Upper Taieri or Maniototo 150,000 Open grass-land, at present held in runs which can be resumed for settlePlain (level and upland) ment on twelve months' notice. Altitude of plain 900ft. to 2,000ft. Cereal and root crops grow well. 10,000 acres at present open for application on settlement conditions. It would be premature to open more land until Otago Central Railway is extended to the plain. 28. Ida, ManuheriMa, and Upper 250,000 Similar country to the above, and also held on pastoral lease : should Clutha Valley not be opened until country is more advanced. About 20,000 acres of it surveyed and now open for selection on settlement conditions. 29. Primary Education Reserve, 210,000 All excellent country: one-third good agricultural land, of which Waikaia about 30,000 acres taken up in farms of 50 to 600 acres; tvvcthirds pastoral. 9,000 acres surveyed, and very well adapted for arable farms of 50 to 300 acres. Land much inquired for, but the School Commissioners and Government have not yet agreed as to how it should be offered. 80. Primary Education Eeserve, 70,000 Open country, about 1,100 feet altitude; 20,000 acres suitable for Te Anau agriculture, the balance of 50,000 acres rather gravelly and poor for cropping. At present too far from market for small settlers. Total for Otago .. 860,000 Southland. 31. Seaward Forest and adjacent 30,000 About 20,000 acres very well adapted for small settlers. Nearly all Crown land bush, and convenient to railways and roads. 32. Near Centre Hill and Oreti 10,000 Open country, surveyed, and now being taken up on settlement Biver conditions. 33. Dean Forest, west of Waiau 100,000 This is all forest, but very suitable for settlement so far as soil is and fronting coast-line concerned, but it requires opening up by roads, and the Waiau River would have to be bridged. The land is in the Otago Land District, but is in Southland County. Total for Southland .. 140,000

StTMMAEY. Auckland ... ... ... ... ... ... 450,000 acres. Taranaki ... ... ... ... ... ... 120,000 „ Hawke's Bay ... ... ... ... ... 100,000 „ Wellington ... ... ... ... ... ... 300,000 „ Nelson ... ... ... ... ... ... 41,760 „ Marlborough ... ... ... ... ... 10,000 „ Canterbury ... ... ... ... ... ... 180,000 „ Otago ... ... ... ... ... ... 860,000 „ Southland ... ... ... ... ... ... 140,000 „ Total for colony ... ... ... 2,201,760 » Westland and West Coast (North Island) have not been included, as there are no blocks of land in either district so expressly suitable for settlement as to require definition. Jambs McKeerow.

Authority : Geobge Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBBs,

MAP OF THE NORTH ISLAND. NEW ZEALAND. CROWN LANDS FOR FUTURE SETTLEMENT.

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MAP OF THE MIDDLE ISLAND. NEW ZEALAND. CROWN LANDS FOR FUTURE SETTLEMENT.