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Cultivation, crops and house construction around Dunsandel by 1866
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TitleCultivation, crops and house construction around Dunsandel by 1866 
DescriptionIt is very fortunate that the Ellesmere Road Board’s Rates Books for 1866, 67, 68 and 82 have survived as they provide unique information on farming and building. Unfortunately Ellesmere only extended as far as the Great South Road and information west of that road has been lost.
In contrast to the busy scene by 1866 in Doyleston and Brookside (see earlier Echo articles), very little of Dunsandel had been cultivated by 1866.
Seven sod and one framed house had been built. Land that had not been cultivated was called “waste land” but most would have been used for grazing cattle and sheep. The Hon. Daly’s extensive holdings, fitted into this category.
William Boag, a farmer from Riccarton, had bought adjoining sections (RS7163 & 7396), approximately 40 acres for £158 in 1866 from James Austin, farmer of Riccarton, and had ploughed 8 acres. The Boag family had extensive holdings in Brookside.
John Keand had a sod house on land (RS8803) owned by J K Fitzherbert and was growing 4 acres of wheat on the 50 acre property which he purchased in 1878.
Alexander Ferguson, occupied RS9245 and had had a sod house and 6 acres in wheat and another 4 acres ploughed. James Elsbee, a photographic artist from Christchurch, was described as the owner.
David Wilson blacksmith (More in a later issue)
Henry Jackson owned RS9016 & RS9017 on the Great South Road and had 15 acres of wheat & 30 acres ploughed with 64 acres remaining as waste. He had a sod house.
Edward Toomey occupied RS9107 and had a sod house and 6 acres of wheat and another 4 ploughed with 40 remaining in waste. Henry Watson of Rangiora, a gentleman was described as the owner. The land was bought by Leonard Harper, Esquire of Christchurch, in 1870.
Alexander McPhail, a carpenter, had a frame house on land (RS9452) The 50-acre section had actually been sold to McPhail for £150 in December 1865 but this information had not appeared in the Rates Book. McPhail had 6 acres in wheat. The land was previously owned by Alexander Rose, a gentleman from Lyttelton.
John Dilloway had ploughed 50 acres but still had 816 acres in waste on RS8835. His property fronted both the Great South Road and the Railway Reserve.
George Billings, a farmer from Lincoln, who owned 200 acres (RS9475 and RS9476) had ploughed 25 acres and had a sod house on RS9476. He sold to the Irvine family in 1870.
John Wilson on land (RS9281), had a small sod house and 6 acres in wheat together with 15 acres ploughed, but 29 acres still as waste land. James Elsbee was described as the owner
H. Chamberlain, occupied 200 acres (RS10123 etc.) on the Tramway Reserve had ploughed 14 acres. By 1868 he had 160 acres in cereals. Frederick Wright, from Springs District, was described as the owner.
As shown, nearly all houses were on sections that bordered the railway reserve. Maybe farmers believed that, once money was available, the railway would be constructed past Selwyn Town to Rakaia and the main road would then run along the railway line.
In 1866, a person who held the mortgage had rights to the property and once the mortgage was paid the land was re-conveyed.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date3rd March 2022SourceEllesmere Roads Board Ratepayers RollLocationDunsandel
DescriptionIt is very fortunate that the Ellesmere Road Board’s Rates Books for 1866, 67, 68 and 82 have survived as they provide unique information on farming and building. Unfortunately Ellesmere only extended as far as the Great South Road and information west of that road has been lost. In contrast to the busy scene by 1866 in Doyleston and Brookside (see earlier Echo articles), very little of Dunsandel had been cultivated by 1866.
Seven sod and one framed house had been built. Land that had not been cultivated was called “waste land” but most would have been used for grazing cattle and sheep. The Hon. Daly’s extensive holdings, fitted into this category.
William Boag, a farmer from Riccarton, had bought adjoining sections (RS7163 & 7396), approximately 40 acres for £158 in 1866 from James Austin, farmer of Riccarton, and had ploughed 8 acres. The Boag family had extensive holdings in Brookside.
John Keand had a sod house on land (RS8803) owned by J K Fitzherbert and was growing 4 acres of wheat on the 50 acre property which he purchased in 1878.
Alexander Ferguson, occupied RS9245 and had had a sod house and 6 acres in wheat and another 4 acres ploughed. James Elsbee, a photographic artist from Christchurch, was described as the owner.
David Wilson blacksmith (More in a later issue)
Henry Jackson owned RS9016 & RS9017 on the Great South Road and had 15 acres of wheat & 30 acres ploughed with 64 acres remaining as waste. He had a sod house.
Edward Toomey occupied RS9107 and had a sod house and 6 acres of wheat and another 4 ploughed with 40 remaining in waste. Henry Watson of Rangiora, a gentleman was described as the owner. The land was bought by Leonard Harper, Esquire of Christchurch, in 1870.
Alexander McPhail, a carpenter, had a frame house on land (RS9452) The 50-acre section had actually been sold to McPhail for £150 in December 1865 but this information had not appeared in the Rates Book. McPhail had 6 acres in wheat. The land was previously owned by Alexander Rose, a gentleman from Lyttelton.
John Dilloway had ploughed 50 acres but still had 816 acres in waste on RS8835. His property fronted both the Great South Road and the Railway Reserve.
George Billings, a farmer from Lincoln, who owned 200 acres (RS9475 and RS9476) had ploughed 25 acres and had a sod house on RS9476. He sold to the Irvine family in 1870.
John Wilson on land (RS9281), had a small sod house and 6 acres in wheat together with 15 acres ploughed, but 29 acres still as waste land. James Elsbee was described as the owner
H. Chamberlain, occupied 200 acres (RS10123 etc.) on the Tramway Reserve had ploughed 14 acres. By 1868 he had 160 acres in cereals. Frederick Wright, from Springs District, was described as the owner.
As shown, nearly all houses were on sections that bordered the railway reserve. Maybe farmers believed that, once money was available, the railway would be constructed past Selwyn Town to Rakaia and the main road would then run along the railway line.
In 1866, a person who held the mortgage had rights to the property and once the mortgage was paid the land was re-conveyed.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date3rd March 2022SourceEllesmere Roads Board Ratepayers RollLocationDunsandelConnections
CollectionHistory of DunsandelOrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyEvent150th Anniversary Dunsandel
OrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyEvent150th Anniversary DunsandelAttribution
Researched ByMike NoonanWritten ByMike Noonan
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Cultivation, crops and house construction around Dunsandel by 1866 (3rd March 2022). Selwyn Stories, accessed 21/01/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5223
