AN ONEHUNGA PIONEER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 78, 2 April 1928, Page 5

AN ONEHUNGA PIONEER.

MR. JAMES McINTYRE. SIXTY-SIX YEARS COLONIST. At the advanced age of 92 years, one of the pioneers of Onehunga, Mr. James Melntyre. died on Saturday night at his home, Melntyre Road. Mangere. The interment took place this afternoon at Mangere Cemetery. Deceased is survived by his son, Mr. W. Melntyre, of Invercargill, and a daughter, Mrs. T. McKenzie, of Mangere.

Mr. Melntyre was born in the Highlands of Scotland within a mile of the home of Burns Highland Mary. He landed in Auckland in 1802, and worked for some time at his trade as a blacksmith in the forgo of Mr. David Davidson, at Vulcan Lane. Mr. Melntyre was wont to express his pride tliat lie forged the ironwork for the windows of the Union Bank in Queen Street. He used to state that in his early days he often saw horses dug out of the clay in Queen Street. Up to the end Mr. Melntyre used a buggy made by the firm of Cousins and Atkins half a century ago. and us<nl to point to it as an example of the sound work put in by the artisans in the early days. During the war in the Waikato, Mr. Melntyre was employed on the manufacture of the first ambulance wagons used.

His first trip to Onehunga cost him 2/li each way. and at that time the road was so had that the passengers had to get out near the Koyal Oak corner and cut fascines in order to get across the swam]i. Onehiinga in those days was i pretty well confined to sea front as far as business premises were concerned. There were two or three public houses, and the principal store belonged to Mr. Samuel Fleming. The residents were r.ostlv military pensioners. Early in IS<53 Mr. Mclntyre started a blacksmith business at Onehunga. When the rush took plac. to Thames gold field. Mr. Mclntyre >iarted a branch of the business there on a site now included in the big ironwo»~ of Price Brothers. Mr. Mclnt; re used to claim I that he installed the boiler for the first | battery worked -by steam on the field. Mr. Mclntyre was possessed of an inventive faculty, and was a frequent | exhibit! rof his liotio; at the ajriculi tural shows and exhibitions over fortv years ago. Mr. Mclntyre was. a mem of the first Borough Council at Oneli ... _a, and donated to the Jellieoe Park two ancient iroulded cannon, viie wa< l a warship wrecked at Mercury Bay nearly a century ago. and the other was a French one. Mr. Mclntyre was a fine type of Scot and a first-class settler to develop | a new country.