First Year in Canterbury Settlement

Samuel Butler

Samuel Butler travelled to the South Island of New Zealand in 1860, landing at Lyttleton, the main port for the Canterbury Settlement. Although the son of a Church of England clergyman, Butler arrived in Canterbury intent on making his fortune from sheep farming. "A First Year in Canterbury Settlement" colourfully describes his experiences including his travels on horseback up the Canterbury rivers to eventually find the high country sheep run where he established his station "Mesopotamia". Samuel Butler returned to England in 1864, having made a profit from the sale of Mesopotamia. Samuel Butler is best known for his novels "Erewhon" and "The Way of All Flesh". (Summary by Gail Timmerman-Vaughan) (4 hr 22 min)