Organisers Tricia McKnight and Kathryn McConnell said about 120 family members from across Australia and New Zealand arrived in Oturehua to celebrate 150 years since an enterprising settler from Dalry, Scotland began his sea journey halfway around the world for a new life in New Zealand.
James McKnight was 28 when he left his young wife and three sons, setting sail on Christian McAusland from Glasgow in October 1869, arriving in Port Chalmers the following year after 80 days at sea.
He made his way to Oturehua, and built a mud brick house, calling it Braeside, and when his wife, Jane McPake, arrived about two years later they both set about making a life, having 12 children in all.
The descendants of the enterprising Scottish couple have maintained a connection to the area, and Braeside is now more than 5500ha high country farm run by brothers Graeme and Alastair McKnight.
The descendants first held a family reunion in 1944, and since 1979 have held a reunion every 10 years.
He was the "youngest son of the youngest son", he said.
His father was Frederick Gemmel McKnight, a farrier in World War 1, who later came to an untimely death while digging for gold on the family property.
Although Mr McKnight was only 5 when his father died in 1940, he could still remember the day "like it was yesterday", he said.
"They had a small mine digging for gold and the sides caved in, I can still remember they brought my father out on a stretcher," he said.
Doreen Noone, (91) of Timaru, was the granddaughter of Sam McKnight.
Her parents, were Jane McKnight and Jack Gilchrist, and for many years they ran the Gilchrist store, her mother working at the store until she was 80.
"I worked in it as well, before I went nursing," she said.
People travelled from all over New Zealand and Australia to be part of the reunion.
Brothers Brendon McKnight, of Wodonga, and David McKnight, of Dederang, both recalled taking part in the family reunion in 1979.
Extending the family tradition to the next generation, Brendon arrived with his daughter Charlotte McKnight (17).
