 Wason emigrated from Scotland to New Zealand in late 1868 . In February 1869 or April 1870 ( sources vary ) , he bought the <unk> sheep run ( Run 116 ) in mid @-@ Canterbury . <unk> was a 20 @,@ 000 acres ( 81 km2 ) run on the south bank of the Rakaia River . The land had first been taken up by John Hall , but had changed ownership several times before Wason bought it , including 1 @,@ 250 acres ( 5 @.@ 1 km2 ) of freehold land . Wason renamed his property Corwar after his father 's lands in Scotland , and the first advertisement placed in newspapers by Wason mentions Corwar in October 1869 , hence the April 1870 date appears less likely . Wason set about trying to create an estate village on land bought from the adjacent Lavington run ( Run 117 ) . He also bought part of the Hororata Station on the other side of the Rakaia River from John Cordy ( Run 67 ) . 
