Waikakahi

In 1898 the Minister of Lands of the Liberal government of New Zealand paid a visit to Allan McLean, owner of the Waikakahi Estate, one of South Canterbury's largest and most productive freehold properties. The result of this visit was the purchase and subdivision of the estate by the government, the key event of the South Canterbury district of Waikakahi. This book has been published to mark the centenary of this significant event, which helped ensure that the family farm would triumph in the New Zealand countryside. It tells the story of a typical New Zealand country district, recounting the lives of those who have called on of Canterbury's most appealing country districts their home.