Helen Wiggins, at left, and her cousins Violet Church and Jean Fredricksen cut the cake last Saturday to commemorate 100 years since their fathers settled in the Orautoha Valley. In 1896 Malcolm McNie and two of his sons balloted for land in the valley. Bill and Fred received a block of 200 acres each and Malcolm took a third on behalf of a third son , Frank, who was not then old enough to own it. These three blocks of land, which are adjacent to each other, are still in the McNie name, farmed by Gordie and Stuart McNie. The informal commemoration, held in the 'wainut paddock' and in the woolshed on Gordie McNie's farm, was attended by about 60 descendants of two of the brothers, Fred and Frank.

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 671, 28 January 1997, Page 1

Helen Wiggins, at left, and her cousins Violet Church and Jean Fredricksen cut the cake last Saturday to commemorate 100 years since their fathers settled in the Orautoha Valley. In 1896 Malcolm McNie and two of his sons balloted for land in the valley. Bill and Fred received a block of 200 acres each and Malcolm took a third on behalf of a third son , Frank, who was not then old enough to own it. These three blocks of land, which are adjacent to each other, are still in the McNie name, farmed by Gordie and Stuart McNie. The informal commemoration, held in the 'wainut paddock' and in the woolshed on Gordie McNie's farm, was attended by about 60 descendants of two of the brothers, Fred and Frank.