100km northeast of Wellington, on the fairly steep eastern slopes of the Tararua Range, is the town of Masterton (pop. 20,000), an important communications hub and supply center. It is named after Joseph Masters (1802-74), leader of the Small Farm Association, which opposed the settlement plans of Edward Wakefield and the New Zealand Land
Company and demanded that poor immigrants should also be able to acquire and work small areas of land. Masters won the support of Governor Gray, whose name is commemorated in the little township of Graytown, 23km further south. In 1853 the association bought land from the Maoris, divided it up and sold it on to small farmers.