In 1847 Frederick Weld landed 2,500 sheep at Port Underwood. Driving them south, he crossed the Awatere River arriving at Flaxbourne, where he established the first extensive Merino sheep run in the South Island. Within three years the grasslands as far as the Kaikoura Ranges had been occupied by squatters. A decade later, control of the grasslands by a mere 50 or so run-holders was confirmed with leaseholds at nominal rentals.
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