The Southland County Council
has jurisdiction over one of the largest counties in New Zealand, there being an area of about three million acres, or about 4700 square miles, within its boundaries. In that area is included the borough of Invercargill (the county town), with its live suburban municipalities and an aggregate population of ten thousand souls. There are also the sea-port and borough of Campbelltown, otherwise known as the Bluff: and inland, the municipalities of Gore, Winton, and Mataura. The council has constructed and maintains about 1500 miles of roads, besides numerous bridges, some of which are important structures. The total expenditure for all purposes during the last twenty years has exceeded £560,000 derived from county revenue, exclusive of £80,000 granted by the General Government. During the same period the county luis contributed about £35,000 of its revenue towards the hospitals and charitable aid requirements of the district. The total capital value of property within the jurisdiction of the county council is estimated at £4,615,000, and the number of ratepayers on the roll is over 7000. The county is not burdened with any serious public debt, there being only the usual bank overdraft, and a few small district loans for works secured by special district rates. There are in the county six separate railway lines, all of which, with one exception, converge in Invercargill.
Councillor Robert M. Mccallum
, who resides at Edendale, is one of the pioneers of the district. He is the eldest son of Mr. Donald McCallum, fanner, and was born in Duntroou, Argyleshire, Scotland, in 1839, and was educated in Lanarkshire. On leaving school, he worked on his father's farm until 1862, when he left Scotland in the ship “Aboukir” for Port Chalmers. Mr. McCallum settled in Southland, and successively became manager of the “Seaward Downs,” “Morton Mains,” and “Edendale” estates, all belonging to the New Zealand and Australian Land Company. During his connection with that corporation, extending over a period of a quarter of a century, Mr. McCallum laid down the bulk of the lands in English grass. besides stocking the runs with sheep and cattle. In 1888, he started farming on his own account on the banks of the Maraura river, adjacent to Menzies' Ferry. Councillor McCallum was elected In 1881 for the Waihopai riding of the Southland County Council, and was chairman in 1885 and 1897; and he still (1904) represents Waihopai riding. He has been chairman of the Oteramika Road Board for over twenty years, and has also served on the local licensing and school committees for a number of years. Mr. McCallum
was Warden of the Oteramika Hundreds under the Southland Provincial Government.
Councillor John Hamilton
, J. P., has represented Winton riding on the Southland County Council since 1894, and has been a member of the
Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard for most of the time. He was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1840, educated in his native county, and brought up to country life. At the age of twenty he decided to emigrate to the colonies, and arrived in Port Chalmers by the ship “Bruce” in 1860. For about a year Mr. Hamilton was engaged in ploughing at Tokomairiro, and on the discovery of gold at Gabriels Gully, was one of the first on the scene. After four or live months Mr. Hamilton removed to Southland, and with three others established the firm of Hamilton and Company, sawmillers. In 1863 Mr. Hamilton settled at Forest Hill, and was one of the district's pioneers. He took up about 500 acres of land in its native state, and has farmed his property for over forty years. Mr. Hamilton increased his holding to 2,000 acres, and he has also been able to settle four of his sons in various parts of the district. He has taken a general interest in the progress of the colony, as well as in that of his district; has served on the Forest Hill school committee, is a member of the Farmers' Club, and of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. Mr. Hamilton was married, in 1868, to a daughter of the late Mr. John McIlwrick, of Wigtonshire, Scotland, and has nine sons and one daughter.
Councillor James Fleming
has represented Awarua riding in the Southland County Council since 1899, and was previously a member from 1890 to 1893. He was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1851, and landed with his father at the Bluff by the ship “Storm Cloud,” in December, 1862. Mr. Fleming has been well known in connection with farming pursuits, at Rakahouka, for most of the time that he has been in New Zealand. For a number of years he served as a member of the Lyndhurst Road Board, and has also held office on the Southland Hospital Board. He is now a member of the Southland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. For a long period Mr. Fleming has been a director of the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Society. He is further referred to as a farmer at Rakahouka.
Councillor William Ronald
, who has represented Wallacetown riding on the Southland County Council since November, 1902, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1840 at Old Cumnock. At the age of ten he went to Campbelltown, and was brought up to country life. In 1862 he came to Port Chalmers by the ship “Lady Egidia,” and settled at Waianawa, Southland, on the 21th of May of the same year. Two years later he purchased the first portion of the Horn Farm, which now contains 400 acres of freehold. Mr. Ronald makes a special feature of rearing fat cattle for the market. He served for many
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years as a member of the Aparima Road Board, before being returned to the Council, and at one time he was a director of the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Society. Mr. Ronald is a total abstainer, and is an old member of the Order of Good Templars. He has twice revisited the Old Country, in 1886 and 1898 respectively, and on the last occasion
travelled through America. Mr. Ronald was married, in 1868, to a daughter of the late Mr. James Wilson, of Waianawa, and has live sons and four daughters.
Mr. Robert Park Macgoun
, County Clerk and Treasurer to the Southland County Council—who has performed the secretarial and financial duties connected with the county council for over twenty-seven years—was the council's first appointed officer. He came to the Colony from Glasgow in 1861, and was, like many other early colonists of the pioneer days, connected for a time with up country work, being employed on the station of an old school fellow in the then newly opened Waian district. In the end of 1862 he accepted an appointment in the Southland Provincial Government Survey office, and after five and a half years' service visited the Old Country. He was absent from the Colony for five years, three of which were passed in London in business with a relative. Subsequently he was engaged for some months in the Government Survey office in Melbourne. After coming back to New Zealand in 1873, and visiting different centres, he was again appointed to the Provincial Survey office at Invercargill, from which, after about a year, he was transferred to the Public Works staff on the West Coast as chief clerk of that branch of the service. Three years afterwards the counties were inaugurated,
and he received the position which he now holds.
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