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The history of the Trotter family in N.Z. started when William Sinclair Trotter stepped ashore at Waikouaiti from the whaling ship Magnet on 12th March 1840.
He had traveled from Scotland where he lived near John O’Groats, Caithness. W.S.T. was granted a license for Run 7 on the first day of 1852. In March 1860 he was granted another run which he called Greenvale after his farm in Scotland. Run 323. To stock the run W.S.T. took stock from his run at Moeraki across Central Otago which must have been a test of endurance as he had to pass through the Pigroot, Chatto Creek to Clyde then over the Nevis to Greenvale at Kingston.
Runholders did well at first with the good feed for the stock but the snowstorms of 1878, invasion of rabbits all started to take their toll on human endurance. The feed on the run in its natural state was described as luxuriant with a herb called aniseed, good for fattening stock.
Over the years W.S.T purchased land in many parts of Otago & Southland. It was at Woodlands farm that he settled and ran his various properties. He died in 1893.
Isabella his wife died 1910 seventeen year after her husband, her life could not have been easy as the wife of such an adventurous man, imagine the loneliness and anxiety when he set off for the unknown interior in search of more land. John my husband is a descendant of W.S.T. we farmed at Woodlands until 2003 when the call of the hills which are in Johns blood welcomed him home to the high country again with his wife and two sons to Kaiwarua Station.