This paper explores aspects of kinship and geographical distance in terms of the social context of older people in the South Island of New Zealand, and with particular reference to the long-term epidemiological study of ageing in the community of Mosgiel. Comparisons between the numbers of relatives reported in the social networks of the older participants at baseline and in the six-year follow-up study indicate both losses and gains over time. A local qualitative study carried out within the Mosgiel study interprets meanings of closeness and distance from the ways that older people talk about family and friends. In discussing definitions of family, aspects of genealogical and generational connection are described, along with processes which allow for ‘proxies’ and ‘substitution’ in the light of geographical proximity. These role definitions within families, and the wider social networks within which they operate, provide continuity and reliable social support together with flexibility and adaptability to change. The Mosgiel study illustrates some aspects of the combined effects of low population density in the region, rural-to-urban migration, and recent health and social service restructuring on older people and on their families.