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Cromwell Argus, Volume XXI, Issue 1032, 29 January 1889, Page 2

It is the intention of the Government, immediately on the re-assembly of Parliament, to bring in a bill dealing in an exhaustive manner with the question of Charitable aid, and also a bill to amend the Hospital and Charitabls Institutions Act. Mr John Denniston, who has just received the apointment of Supreme Court Judge for Canterbury district in this colony, was (says the Southland Daily Times) born at Bishopton, near Glasgow, in 1845. He was educated partly at Glasgow and at Greenock Academies, and at the boarding-school of Blair Lodge near Falkirk, after which he completed his education at Glasgow University. Mr Denniston's career in all his schooldays was a brilliant one, and in his last year at Greenock Academy he was gold medallist as best scholar in classics and mathematics. At Glasgow University he gained a valuable scholarship, open to all students from the populous counties of Lanarkshire and Benfrewshire. At college ha commenced "to study for the Bar, but was interrupted by his leaving for New Zealand in company with his father (Mr Denniston of Invercargill) and brothers in 1862. On his arrival in the colony he entered the Civil Service, joining the Post Office Department, first in Invercargill, and afterwards in Christchurch, but after a few months' work he left the public service for that of the Bank of New South Wales, in which he served for upwards of six years. During the latter part of this time he read law steadily and qualified himself for the position he obtained in the office of Mr W. D. Stewart, solicitor, just then vacated by Mr (now Sir) Robert Stout. On the expiry of his articles, and on being admitted as a solicitor after a most satisfactory examination, Mr Denniston joined Mr George Hutchison in practice at Wanganui for a few months, but afterwards joined Mr Stewart in Dunedin as a partner, Mr Allan Holmea shortly afterwards also joining the firm. On the opening of the Otago University Mr Denniston attended the Latin and Mental Philosophy classes, becoming a prizeman iq both,