OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS

Evening Star, Issue 17079, 25 June 1919, Page 2

OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS

THE ASSOCIATION’S MUSEUM No. V.—Thk Pomeatts. ' The fourth article ‘appeared on the sth lust., leaving somo notes still to write up, thus■ The Rev. William Will’s likeness 1® one of the most faithful in the gallery, the exproEsion ut his inquiring but lurid e}€s very happily caught. Ho was a sturdy pioneer. 6e came out with the Rev. W. Bannorman by the Stately in 1854, and took charge of the Presbyterian intoacsto from Tokornarriro to Dunedin. In 1862 or 1863 ho was selected by. the Presbytery of Otago to go to Scotland and pick out several young ministers, and as a proof of his wisdom he brought with his party that outstanding scholar Dr Michael Watt. Wm, Will was a leading theological debater, never afraid of being in & minority. T. G. Do Lacy, sometime* addressed as Count Do Lacy, had claims to )>o known as the father of Ra-v-enisbourno. He has a good, clean record'. Of E. B. Cargill one could write a column. Suffice it to say that he _ was specially chosen, for his personal qualifications, as tho Mayor of Dunedin whoa it became known that tho Duke of York wna coining hero. ", We search in vain for a suitable portrait of John Roberts, C.M.G. His only appearance in the museum is in a cartoon parodying the picture of 1 Tho Traitor, wherein he poses as the accuser. It is a fault in tho collection that it does not include a good photo or painting of such a leading citizen. The cheery face of John Duncan, of Gharry Farm, is easily recognised. He was a useful settler, andi gave a lot of his time to Land Board work. Ilia brother, George Duncan, was _ a flour-miller, who took to Provincial politics and became Treasurer. Ho was the lather of Mr Peter Duncan, also of Mr George Duncan, who installed, tho cable trams in -Melbourne. Alexander Williamson was a partner in the firm of Jones and Williamson, who in th© early days had a store, in Princes street, somewhere about where the Bank of New South Wales now stands. Tho business-like face of Robert Murray is respectfully remembered. He is always spoken well of. He esnne our by the Cornwall in 1849, and represented Bruce for many years. Captain Andrews came here as master of tho Skins Castle. In later years he went into steam, and had charge of a number of coasters, being specially remembered as captain of tiro Ladybird before she was rernasted as a sailer. Janies Freeman, who arrived per Nourmahal in 1858, opened the coalpit at Green Island that still boars his name, and ho served! for awhile as • chairman of the Otago Farmers’ Association. All who knew George Mackenzie, of Queenstown, h-adi a profound liking for him. Ho was a surveyor, and set out moat of tire country above Duntroon when it was being cut up for settlement. His hobby was gardening. On, his property at, Queenstown- he grew a Cloth of Gold roso that, was probably the largest in tho world, having a branch span of about 40ft. This wonderful tree was killed by the frost of 15 or more years ago that settled, nearly all tho gums, in Central Otago. John Duthie, the present president of the association, is represented in the collection, though not very conspicuously. He came out in the Jura in 1558. Alexander Hastie, another of the Jura’s passenger on the same trip, was quite a familiar' figure in the early daya. He was a carter at first, and then took a fertile farm on the Taieri. His wooden leg by no means kept him still. In his own homely way ho was full of kindness. 'X'ho Di-slop mm ore in -a group, Dr H-is-lop, the father, in, the centre. As familiar a_ figure as the Stock Exchange tower. He came by the Strathmore in 1856, as a fellow-passenger with Dr Richardson, Dr Hulme, And -Mr A. Livingstone, under engagement to the Provincial Government as schoolmaster, and ho took up his duties at tho East Taieri School. Ho finished his professional career as Secretary for Education. James Paterson and his wife (Jura, 1858) settled, at Port Molyneux. Mr Paterson took an active and honorable pa,rt in- country affairs, and was specially interested) in road board questions. Hews the father of Mr Wm. Paterson, tho association’s present secretary. Rev A. B. Todd, who had charge at Tokomairiro and Oamaru, was muon respected both in and out of the Church. Jama; MTverrow, in his younger days, surveyed a great part of the interior of Otago, particularly tho Walcatipu district. He succeeded Mr J. T. Thomson as chief surveyor, and becn-rao Surveyor-General. H© was one of “tho wicked three ” who for a time ran the New Zealand Railways. Alexander Thomson was known, apart from his business, as a, distinguished collector of colonial curiosities and as a very charitable man. Peter Robertson (Robert Henderson, 1858) was the man who made a home in Gabriel’s Gully before gold was found. Fancy his living in a jewe-lkr’a shop and not knowing it. John Stephenson, one of tire founders of Wright, Stephenson, and Co., wa:s the daddy of the horse auctioneers. James Hazlett’s portrait comes next, and the juxtaposition is appropriate, for Mr Hazktt was Mr Stephenson’s partner in horse-racing. They owned Occident and Hippomencs and many other good thoroughbreds, and; it was said that they made the stable pay, chough neither bet. Mr iiazktt made -good on tho Dimstan diggings and started storckeoping there. Some years later Mr Hazlett came to Dunedin and joined J. T. Mackerras, thus starting 1 the Ann which is amongst pur leading merchants. Mr Mackerras was an enthusiastic Highlander, greatly interested in flowers, and he became chairman of tho Otago Harbor Board, C. W. Adams, who died not long ago, held the position of chief surveyor, fee was a- learned matliemati’clan.

Quite unexpectedly one cornea across a really good photograph of Dr Stuart amon gsi the miscellaneous. It is about the best photo of him that wo have scon. He was not a much-photographed man. Dr A. J. Fergusson’s presentment hangs close by. He came out by the Britannia in 1864, and settled fit Toko, afterwards at Dunedin, where ho had a large family practice. Dr J. 0. Oloss, who spent his boyhood at Port Chalmers, was in his d'ays the surgeon that the medical students ran after. J. H. Morrison, “a braw duel,” was manager of the Mosgiel Woollen Company, John Mitchell, was one of the most useful of our citizens, founder of the Dunedin tinn of F-srgnsson and Mitchell. Of the group photographs one of the most interesting as that which depicts the guests >at one of Mr Louis Oonrt’o birthday breakfasts. The sole survivor to-day is S. G. Smith. Others t T. S. Graham, John Hyde Harris, Wm. Hepburn, Wm. Caldwell, Wm. Stavely, James Milner, James Marshall, Robert Wilson, Joseph Baxter, Max Mendershausen. J. A. Torrance, once printer of the ‘Star,’ is mostly remembered as the revered jjpal chaplain. Robert Glcndining will live for ever in Dunedin. Ho made princely gifts to the .City, including the Winter Gardens and the. Glen-dining Horne, but there are bun- ! dreds of charitable deeds of his that none but- the angels have any record of. for he was not an, advertiser. James MTr.tosh, driver for Cobb and Co., lost his life as the result of an accident on Beaumont Hill. David Pnnxdfoot was a contractor on a big scale. He bni.lt the Port Chalmers railway and other lines. John Robert Monson (who came by the John Wickliffe) built up a. solid reputation in Port Chalmers and elsewhere. Fbr many years he was in the Customs service, j Robert Banks was one of the firm of Banks, Barron, and Go., in an important, j grocery near the junction of Rattray and i Maclaggan streets.