81 YEARS OLD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 89, 25 January 1943, Page 2

81 YEARS OLD.

MR JOHN GEORGE TURTON. ASHBURTON’S FIRST WHITE CHILD. Mr John George Turton, the first white child in what is now the town of Ashburton, celebrated his 81st birthday yesterday. Mr Turton now lives at Ruakapuka, Geraldine. t Mr Turton was born on January 34, 1862, iii the accommodation house which his father, Mr William Turton, built in 1858 on a site near the present traffic bridge. The Turtons were the first settlers in Ashburton. Mr William -Turton arrived there in 1858 and he and his wife were the first to build a home where Ashburton noAV stands. Of him, more than fifty years ago it was Avritten: “Ashburton in those happy days was a small place with amuse ments of a very primitive characterbut the hospitality of Host Turton and his good wife was noted throughout the country. 55

The Turtons ran their accomodation house under a licence issued by William Sefton Moorhouse. Besides being ferryman, Mr Turton was on occasions sexton, parson and postmaster. He went out of the accommodation house in 1869 into a store which he had built next door. Mr John Turton was born in 1862 in the accommodation house. In 1875 he Aveiit to work on Mesopotamia station helping with the cows and in the house of Mrs George Mcßae, whoso husband was overseer. Notable Journey, After eighteen months there he went to work at Hakatere, the station of the Potts Brothers, where he remained until 1880. 1 He had many interestingexperiences in the back country and as a lad undertook a ninety-mile journey to Ashburton and back in one day to obtain medicine for one of the men on the station.

-From Hakatere he went to Elwortliy’s Holme Station, south of Timaru, but after six months took a position at Mount Peel as musterei, did similar work on Orari Gorge station, and later returned to Mount Peel. 111-health compelled him to give up this work and he went to Mount Possession station while he recuperated. He took up mustering again at Dennistoun’s Peel Forest station where he remained for more than thirty years becoming manager before retiring in June, 1931.

Mr Turton married Miss Helen Ashby, a daughter of the Canterbury pioneer William Ashby, and they celebrated their golden wedding in 1940. Both Mr and Mrs Turton enjoy good health. v

Among those present at the home of Mr and Mrs. Turton yesterday were their two daughters, Mrs A. Pringle (Raukapuka), Mrs A. Pithie (Carew), and their son, Mr W. G. Turton (Christchurch). There are six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.