100 YEARS IN N.Z.

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30103, 10 April 1963, Page 17

100 YEARS IN N.Z.

Family Gathers For Anniversary

Descendants of the late Mr and Mrs James Johnston, who resided in the Lauriston district between 1870 and 1902, will gather at “Pinegrove,” Dunsandel, the residence of a grandson, Mr H. Johnston, next week-end to celebrate the centenary of the arrival of the Johnstons in New Zealand. Mr and Mrs Johnston arrived at Lyttelton on the Tip-Tree in 1863. After three years on the West Coast, they took over a' general store at Waddington for four years. They then took up a 2000acre property at Lauriston, which they named “TipTree” after the ship that had brought them to New Zealand. In 1902 Mr Johnston sold “Tip-Tree” and purchased a property at Dunsandel now known as “Pinegrove.” In 1909 the couple moved to Linwood. Christchurch. Mr Johnston died in 1911 and Mrs Johnston in 1919. Mr Johnston was a Justice of the Peace, a member of the Mount Hutt Road Board, a member of the Ashburton County Council, chairman of the Lauriston School Committee and also an energetic church member.

Two of the couple’s nine children are still alive and will be at the celebrations during the week-end. They are Mrs J. Kennedy and Mrs E. Johnson. There are 29 grand-children, 62 great grandchildren and 32 great great grand-children. As well as farming the descendants are represented in a number of professions and trades. The programme for the celebrations include a roll call, group photographs, amusements for the children, a banquet, a commemorative church service and a luncheon.