A WELLINGTON NONAGENARIAN

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25, 30 January 1912, Page 7

A WELLINGTON NONAGENARIAN

MJ&. JAMES J. TAINE; Yeterday was celebrated the nin&tyfifth birthday of Mr. James J. Tame. What is probably of greater interest than the fact that he i« a hale and hearty wnagtmatian is that he arrived in Wellington *'hen at man's estate,in 1840, nj.ii has completed seventy-two years' gdult residence in New Zealand. It is perhngs *-hfo fact that makes Mr. Tain© and his frWd and rival in ag« and residence, Sir John Ldgan Campbell, two of oir meet interesting New Zealand citizens. The Grand Old Man of Aiickland is a few month* Mr. Taine's senior, but Mr. Tame has slightly the longer residence here. Contemporaneous with his arrival was that of his future wife, the adopted daughter of Mr. E. G. Wakefield, Mies Leocadia de Olivera, a native of Lisbon, and almost immediately following their landing was celebrated the marriage—the first white marriage in Wellington. The clergyman was the Rev. F. J. 'Chnrton, of St Paul's, Wellington, and the temporary edifice in which th<» ceremony took place was a small wooden building. Dr, Eivans, a director 01 the New Zealand Company, and'tho lady's guardian, gave her away. Col. Ivin Wakefield was best man, and Lady Siiode (nee Miss Riddiford) was one of tha bridtsraaids. Mrs, Tain© happily lived to a great age. She passed away £. Jew years back. . .During the first few yeafe of the early »?ttl6menfc oi Wellington, Mr. Tame was active in local affairs, and was largely instrumental itt the establishment of a chipping service between Wellington, Sydney, and Melbourne, the commencement of a branch of the Bank of New Zealand, which was then represented at Auckland, and, in conjunction with the late Hon. C. J. Pharazyn, of the New Zealand Insurance. Company. Mr. lame was closely identified w;th all of our earliest pioneers, nameg now only heard ofj rarely seen in early records, or perpetuated by the nomenclature of our streets. The then leading chiefs of the Native race were frequently met by hint, afl^ business transacted. The remarkable Te Bauparaha and his handeomej though fierce, fighting general, Rangihaeata, Te Puni, the venerable and peaceful high chief of Wellington at Petone, and his turbulent «m, Te Wharapouri, of Ngahauranga, — » veritable Maori herowere all known to Mr. Tame. It was many years ago that Mr. Tame was able t6 retire from business, and for the present he Is sfaending the summer month's in what in the 'forties was called "the fishing village in Cook Straita '— namely, Wellington. The evdnt.of yesterday was celebrated tit' the residence of his eldest daughter, Mrs. W. Darling, on Wellington-terrace, where ho wa^ the recipient of many messages and tokens of felicitation from far and near. On eunny days hie picluregtiue figure, with silver white hair, almost to hte shoulders^ <an be fleen on tne Quay or in Willisetreet making its unaided way to the many institutions he 1* still interested in or taking a stroll along the Salamancaroad leaditfg to the KelWne Height*.