 Barrhill flourished until about 1885 , when population in the village itself peaked at 50 , and two effects caused a population decline . Firstly , a recession set in across New Zealand that made people move to where work opportunities presented themselves , and locally those opportunities were created near the stations of the Methven Branch railway . Wason began to gradually sell off parts of his land holdings from the mid @-@ 1880s . 
