New Zealand, Sheep Returns, Owners and Officers, 1879-1889

An 1878 act required sheep owners in New Zealand to furnish returns listing the number of sheep they had on the 31st of May each year. These returns list the names of sheep owners in New Zealand, the number of sheep and lambs they owned, their location, and the date of the return. Records also list officers, such as inspectors and registrars, as well. You can use these records to locate an ancestor in place and time and get an idea of how prosperous they might have been.