▁Rail ways ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁ ▁McK er row ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Andrew ▁McK er row ▁and ▁Margaret ▁( née ▁Steven ) ▁his ▁wife , ▁and ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁Kil mar no ck , ▁East ▁A yr shire , ▁Scotland . ▁McK er row ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Dun ed in , ▁N . Z ., ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁and ▁was ▁District ▁and ▁Ge od et ical ▁Survey or ▁of ▁O tag o ▁from ▁that ▁year ▁till ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁Chief ▁Survey or ▁of ▁O tag o ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁Ass istant ▁Survey or - General ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁from ▁January ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁to ▁October ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁also ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Crown ▁Land s ▁and ▁M ines ▁from ▁February ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁to ▁January ▁ 1 8 8 9 . ▁From ▁October ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁he ▁held ▁the ▁latter ▁office ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁Survey or - General ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁being ▁appointed ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁to ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁Chief ▁Commission er ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Rail ways . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁McK er row ▁made ▁the ▁reconna issance ▁survey ▁of ▁the ▁O tag o ▁Lake ▁districts , ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁eight ▁thousand ▁square ▁miles . ▁The ▁reports ▁of ▁these ▁surve ys ▁were ▁read ▁before ▁the ▁Royal