Dipton , as a settlement, is divided into two parts, which stand, respectively, on the eastern and western banks of the Oreti river. The original township was founded before the extension of the railway to the Lakes district, and stands on the Dipton Flat, on the western bank of the river. In the early sixties, Messrs Morrison, Law and Squires became proprietors of the Dipton station, which was worked for many years as a sheep run, and in 1877, the site of the township was sold by auction at the Land Office, Invercargill. At one time during its history there were two hotels and a blacksmith's shop in the township. The main road leading towards the Lake district passes through the settlement. In 1904, the township, apart from dwelling-houses, consisted of a store, Presbyterian and English churches, a public library and a dairy factory. The new township took its rise at the opening of the railway, and consists of private and business premises on both sides of the line; it is stated that, properly, it should be called Oreti. The business premises consist of a store, bakery and butchery combined, an hotel, a blacksmith's shop, a public hall, and a Roman Catholic church. The two townships are connected by a good road, and a fine bridge over the river. The old bridge was erected in 1876, and did duty till the 17th of October, 1902, when the present bridge was completed. Quarterly stock sales are held in Dipton, at the yards of the local Sale Yards Company. The station is a post and telephone office combined; it stands at an altitude of 423 feet above sea level, and is thirty-seven miles from Invercargill. Dipton proper is in the Winton riding of the county of Southland, and, at the census of 1901, had a population of sixty-eight, while on the Dipton Flat, surrounding the township, there were 204 additional inhabitants. East Dipton is in the Oreti riding of the county of Southland, and at the census of 1901, had a population of ninety-three, with forty-six extra in the vicinity. The public school of Dipton was attended by seventy children, on an average, in 1904. Near the school stands the commodious manse of the Presbyterian minister of the Dipton-Fernhills charge.

Armstrong photo.
Long Sound, Preservation Inlet.

Dipton Post And Telegraph Office And Railway Station was opened in 1877 on the completion of the railway line from Winton The goods handled at the station consist chiefly of wool, grain, dairy produce and rabbits.

Mr. Louis Victor Rasmussen , formerly stationmaster and postmaster at Dipton, is the youngest son of Mr. H. T. Rasmussen. He was born at Wetherstones, near Lawrence, Otago, and was educated at the district school; joined the New Zealand railway service in 1884 at Dunedin, and after being instructed in telegraph work, was appointed cadet at Waitahuna railway station and post office, and successively held other appointments at Dunedin, Palmerston South, Clinton, and Lawrence. In August, 1897, he was appointed to Dipton, whence he was transferred, some years afterwards, to Waitahuna. Mr. Rasmussen is an old member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity, and holds the rank of Past Grand in Lodge Tuapeka Pioneer. He was married, in 1897, to Margaret, daughter of Mr. James Milne, of Palmerston South.

Mr. Frederick Shaw , who is Ganger of No. 5 section, Invercargill-Kingston line of railway, resides at Dipton. He was born, in 1847, at at Borton-on-the-water, Gloucestershire, England, and followed general labouring work for some years before coming to New Zealand in 1872, by the ship “Zealandia.” He started work on railway formation with Messrs John and Norman Campbell, in whose service he remained two years and a-half. Mr Shaw first entered the Government railway service in 1880 as a ganger at Athol. He served on the Athol school committee for two or three terms. Mr Shaw was married in 1872, to a daughter of the late Mr Jesse Lane, carpenter, Borton-on-the-water, Gloucestershire, England, and has a family of four sons and five daughters.

St. Matthew's Anglican Church , Dipton, was erected in 1903. It is a handsome wood and iron building, with a glebe of three acres of land, and has accommodation for 150 persons. Services are held every Sunday morning, and occasionally in the evening. The vicar, who resides at Winton, visits the church periodically, and is assisted by a lay reader.

Mr. William John Mcdonald , who was for some time Cheesemaker of the Oreti Dairy Factory, Dipton, was born at Weston, near Oamaru, in 1877. For some time after leaving school he was employed on a sheep station, and was then engaged in general farm work. After spending about eighteen months in Messrs Saxon Brothers' store at Waihola, he was employed at the Inchclutha creamery, where he remained for about two years. He then went back to storekeeping, and was for over a year in Mr Farquhar's store at Stirling, but at the time of the Boer war he left for South Africa with the Sixth New Zealand Contingent. On his return he learned cheesemaking at Edendale under Mr Sawers, and became cheesemaker at the Oreti Factory at Dipton in 1904. After leaving Dip-ton, he was appointed manager of the Omimi Dairy Factory, Seacliff, Otago.

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mr. W. J. Mcdonald.

Musselwhite, William , Produce Merchant, General Carrier, and Farmer, Dipton. Mr Musselwhite has a forty-two-acre farm on the Dipton Flat, and carries on his business at Dipton, where he also holds the agency for the Royal Insurance Company, and for the Kaitangata Coal Company. He was born at New Forest, England, in 1845, and educated in Fawley parish. He was employed in the building trade at Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, and on public works in various parts of England, before coming to Lyttelton by the ship “Lady Jocelyn,” in 1872. From Lyttelton he went to the Bluff, in the small steamer “Wellington.” In 1874, Mr Mussel-white settled in the Dipton district, where he bought his farm three years later. He was a member of the Riverside school committee for many years and afterwards commissioner for the same school. He is attached to the Acorn Lodge of Druids, Invercargill. Mr Musselwhite was married, in 1877, to a daughter of Mr Henry Cooper, coachbuilder, Gladstone, and has three sons.

Gerstenkorn, photo.
Mr. And Mrs W. Musselwhite.

Laing, Peter , Farmer, Dipton. Mr Laing owns 600 acres of freehold, which he took up in 1884. The property, which was then covered with tussocks, has been laid down in English grasses, and is worked as a grain farm. Mr Laing was born in Inverness-shire, Scotland, in 1852, and accompanied his father to New Zealand by the ship “Storm Cloud,” which arrived at Port Chalmers in 1861. The family settled at Wallace-town, and Mr Laing was brought up on his father's farm. In 1878, he commenced contract ploughing at Castlerock, where he resided for about seven years, prior to settling on his present property at Dipton.

Mr. P. Laing.

“Moorabool,” (Melbourne Trust Company, Limited, proprietors, Melbourne), Dipton. The “Moorabool” property consists of 4,930 acres of freehold on the west bank of the Oreti river, adjoining the township of Dip-ton, and extending back to the hills. The original area of the estate has been considerably reduced, owing to part of the land having been disposed of for closer settlement. About 3,200 sheep are shorn annually.

Mr. Frank Simmons Woodward , Manager of the Moorabool Estate, is the second son of the late Mr F. Woodward, manager of the National Bank at Invercargill, and was born at the Thames in 1873. He was educated principally at Riverton, and was brought up to farming in Southland and Canterbury. He served for four years and three months under Mr John Tennant, of Heddon Bush station, and for four years under the late Mr John Grigg, of Longbeach, Canterbury. Mr Woodward farmed on his own account at Waikiwi for eighteen months, but afterwards sold out and was appointed to the management of the Moorabool estate in 1899. He served for two years in the Southland Mounted Rifles. As a Freemason, he is connected with Lodge Taringatura, No. 100, New Zealand Constitution, Lumsden; and as an Oddfellow, he joined Waterton Lodge, Manchester Unity, near Longbeach, Canterbury, in 1896. Mr Woodward is secretary of the Dipton branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. He has been a frequent exhibitor of Clydesdale horses, with which he has been a prize-taker at Southland shows.