William Davidson (agribusinessman)

Davidson was planning to work on a ranch in Argentina, when, while travelling by train, met Canterbury and Otago Association shareholder James Morton.

On the strength of their conversation during the journey, Morton hired William Davidson as a cadet - and persuaded his father to invest £10,000.

He was sent to the company's 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi) farm at Timaru where he spent two years as a shepherd under James Hassell, being responsible for the 85,000 Merino sheep.

By the end of the two years, Davidson was overseeing 15 Scottish shepherds, and had helped survey and fence much of the previously open land.

In 1878 the Canterbury and Otago Association amalgamated with James Morton's other venture, the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, and now incorporated over a 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi) between the two countries.

In 1881 he arranged for the Dunedin to be refitted with a compression refrigeration unit, and supervised the establishment of a slaughter works at Totara Estate, Oamaru.

Despite the loss of 650 carcases when the crankshaft of the compressor broke, on 15 February 1882, the Dunedin sailed for London with what was to be the first commercially successful refrigerated shipping voyage, and the foundation of both this industry and New Zealand's early lead in it.

Davidson was increasingly based in the UK as NZALC general manager, although he continued to regularly visit New Zealand and Australia.