Andrew Buchanan of Chingford 1807-1877 by Buchanan, Andrew Hamilton; Buchanan, Neal Harkness .

Andrew Buchanan of Chingford 1807-1877 by Buchanan, Andrew Hamilton; Buchanan, Neal Harkness .

Publisher: Hazard Press 1995.

Very good hardback, no jacket as issued, David Galloway signature to ffep, 103 pages illustrated.

The purpose of this book is to bring together a number of documents and reminiscences on the life and family of Dr Andrew Buchanan, 1807-1877, who lived in New Zealand from 1857 to 1873. He has been called "Andrew Buchanan of Chingford" after residences of that name in England and New Zealand.

Initially the Buchanan family settled in Auckland, buying land and constructing a house "Clavernok". In 1860, however, hearing that there was good land available in Otago, Buchanan travelled to Dunedin and rode into the interior, eventually buying a property called Patearoa which he then operated as a sheep station. The station covered some 30,000 ha. (75,000 acres).

The remainder of the family joined him at Dunedin in 1862 where he constructed a house, called Chingford after their former home in England.

Eschewing his profession (other than to attend emergencies) Buchanan appears to have concentrated on farming, expanding Chingford in 1863 to 21 acres and regularly travelling to his sheep station.

Political life
Buchanan was nominated to the Legislative Council by Governor Gore Brown in 1861 and he took his seat in 1862. Over the ensuing 12 years he was active in many issues but gained particular attention for his concern for the conditions of mental hospitals and is credited with developing "the humane method" in New Zealand.

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