Ikamatua is a farming district between Blackwater and Little Grey Junction. There are two sawmills at work in the neighbourhood, and there is a creamery belonging to the Greymouth Fresh Food and Ice Company, at the settlement. The Ikamatua flag station on the Greymouth-Reefton section of the New Zealand railways, is thirty-one miles from Greymouth, and fifteen miles from Reefton. The settlement is on the eastern bank of the Mawheraiti or Little Grey river, and to the south of the Snowy river. It forms part of Antonio's riding of the county of Inangahua, and is in the electoral district of Grey, and in the provincial district of Nelson. There was no separate return of the population of Ikamatua at the census of 1901, but the population of Snowy river was recorded as thirty-four. There is a small public school at Ikamatua.

Prendergast, James Rickard, Farmer, Ikamatua. Mr. Prendergast has a freehold property of 270 acres, a leasehold property of 318 acres, and he holds 350 acres under an occupation license. His attention is devoted chiefly to dairying and grazing, but a fair amount of cropping is also carried on. Mr. Prendergast was born in the year 1852, in page 265 County Mayo, Ireland, where he was educated and brought up to farm work. He came to New Zealand in the year 1872, and landed in Lyttelton. After a short time at farm work in Canterbury, he went to the West Coast, where he engaged in farm work for several years. Mr. Preadergast subsequently took up a portion of his present holding, adding to it from time to time. He was one of the original directors of the Totara Flat Dairy Factory Company, and is a director of the Greymouth Fresh Food and Ice Company. Mr. Prendergast has been chairman, secretary, and treasurer of the Ikamatua school committee. He is a widower, and has four sons and four daughters.