In the 1890s the Liberal government, under Minister of Lands John McKenzie, was determined to ‘burst up’ (subdivide) large estates for closer settlement by small farmers. The first big property purchased under this policy was the 34,300-ha Cheviot Estate in North Canterbury. The night after the run came into the possession of the government, the stables, granary and store were destroyed by fire.
The Liberal Party had come to power after the 1890 general election on a platform which included promoting closer settlement by selling Crown land only to genuine farmers, extending state leasehold rather than offering land freehold, purchasing large estates for subdivision by the Crown, introducing a graduated land tax to force subdivision, and providing cheap finance for the development of new farms.
In general, the Liberals’ land policy was a success. Between 1892 and 1911 the Crown offered 3.4 million ha of land for settlement, subdivided into 33,000 holdings. This included 209 estates totalling 486,000 ha that had been bought for a total of £6 million (equivalent to about $1 billion in 2016) and subdivided into 4800 holdings. The prices offered were mostly generous, and provisions for compulsory purchase were utilised in only 13 cases.
Image: Cheviot station house (Alexander Turnbull Library)
Read more on NZHistory
Subdividing Cheviot Hills - roadside stories – A history of New Zealand 1769-1914History of New Zealand, 1769-1914 – A history of New Zealand 1769-1914John McKenzie
External links
- Liberal land policy (1966 encyclopaedia)
- Settlement and development: The Liberal era (1966 encyclopaedia)
- The Liberals and land policy (Te Ara)
How to cite this page
'State buys Cheviot Estate', URL: /cheviot-estate-taken-over-by-government, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 12-Feb-2016
