MAKERS OF CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20038, 20 September 1930, Page 13

MAKERS OF CANTERBURY.

PIONEERS OF THE PROVINCE. (■MCHI.I.T WUTTM FOB TH» FMSS.) [By Annalist.] (All Rightß Reserved.) XXXIII. CAPTAIN RICHIARD WESTENRA, 1794-1880. Richard Westenra, father and son, spanned a period of over fifty years in the history of Canterbury, both doing good work in an unostentatious manner. Richard Westenra, the elder, who was a grandson of Lord Rossmore, was born in 1794. He entered the army as an ensign in the 7th Regiment, better known as the Royal i'usuiers, and seems to have seen a good deai ?f service m the later sta&e of the t'enmsular War. His regiment was present ut most oi th# great battles oi tue war, up to the uuai blows on the nortnern side oi the Pyrenees, mo active battalions then went in turn to jMorth America, the lonian isianUs, the West indies, and Ireland. VY,e do not know the movements of Captain Westenra except that in the early thirties he was stationed in the soutn of Ireland. There he married, 1 in 1831, Isabella M., daughtei of farker Rock, of Kilpumain, Carberry, county CorK, and their eldest son was born at b-in-sale in the following year. Some years later, apparently in the early foities. Captain Westenra retired from the army and went to live with his family in southern Germany, where the eldei children received education, foi the most part at Mannheim. There the youngest son, Mr A. H. Westenra, of Akaioa was born in 1844 While they were at Mannheim a great friend. Captain Wilkinson. R.N., persuaded Westenra to come with hi© to New Zealand, and he took passage in the Midlothian, 1851. with his wife and familv of seven | Thev arrived in Lyttelton on October Bth.' 1851. and took up their abode in Hereford street Christchurch, in a house very handsome for those days, and for many years a landmark in the City Captain Wilkinson, who had no family never settled down in ® Zealand, and when he returned home a short time latei he tried to "ersunde Westenra to accompany him. Westenra however, surrounded by sons approncnin" manhood, took un a run on the Selwvn river, to M he craveJ :he name of one of T-ord RossTnores se.ts. Cnmla. At first he had a >!aee far tlier south, but he dis'ikod the idea of hi* b"vs having no often to cross the dangerous rivers, and he < BXC "?"S e . this place for Camla The original C'itmla homestead, Acbnd says, was right on the riverbed, which was then a beautiful flat traversed by small rivers; but the flood of 186* washed most of the flat away and drowned 3(100 sheep, majiv of which had just been imported from Australia. A new house was then built on the site of the present homestead at Dunsandel, but the old woolshed, one of the earliest m Canterbury, still stands. Being fairly advanced in years when he came to New Zealand. Westenra was disnosed to live quietly, leaving the worlt of the station to his three Hons, while the youngest went into mercantile life in Christchurch. He was not fond of the limeliffht, but in 1855 was persuaded to stand for the Citv of Christ"hurch, which he represented in the Provincial Council from 1855 to 1807 and again from the end of 1860 to early iu 186§. For a good part of this time he was chairman of committees. He was also a Justice or the Peace and often sat on the Bench. A soldier and a aentleman of the old school, hifi unimpeachable integrity, shone in all his doings. Mr? Westenra died in 1865 and shortly afterwards Westenra went to live at Camla, where he died on February 2nd, 1880, leaving his property to his sons Richard, Parker,' and Warner. For the last few years of his life We6tenra was quite blind. '

RICHARD WESTENRA, JTJN., 1832- . 1903. i Born in South Irelandl while _ his father's regiment was stationed there Westenra, junior, received most of his education tri Germany. He was stilj in his teens when the family came out to New Zealand; but was able at once to take his part in the management of the property which his father took up. He also took an interest in public affairs being a member of the Provincial Council for Akaroa from IS7O till the abolition of the provinces For three years of this period—lß7l- - was -n member of the Executive under Kennaway. He was also for some years a member of the Rakaia Road Board. On his father's death in 1880 he came to live in Christchurch, and from that time onward he tooK a more active part in affaire When the Selwyn. County Council was formed in 188] he was elected a member. and continued to serve until his death j From 1896 he' was chairman. Ho was an original, member of the Charitable Aid Board from 1885, and chairman from the following year until 1898. continuing till his death to represent Selwyn County on this body He was also on the .Hospital Board from 1885 to 1892* and again from 1895 to 1898. Up to the time of his death he was a member of; the Domain Board, and. he served for a while, on the Lvttelfcm Harbour Board. In ISBS Wnstenra was appointed a member of the Canterbury College® Board of Governors, on which he continued to serve, under both constitutions, until 1901 being re-elected in 1897 and again in. 1898. He was also on the Education Board, of which he was for some years chairman. In business life he was long a local trustee of the Trust and Agency Company. VVeetenrn married Selina, daughter of the Rev. W J. Aylmer. She died towards the end of 1902, aged 69 Westenra himself died on April 6th. 1903, leaving a family of wo sons fair-hard William, of the Bank of New Zealand; and Dr. Gerald, of Christchurch). anrl one daughter. Like his father Westenra was a pood type of the English gentleman. The estate at iMmsnndel is now consolidated in the possession of Derek W. Westenra, son of Warner Westenra. of Christehurch.