OBITUARY

Evening Star, Issue 17483, 14 October 1920, Page 4

OBITUARY

WATSON SHENNAN. Mr Watson Shennan died at his residence, High street, to-day, in his eightysixth year. H© was closely associated with the agricultural and pastoral development of this province, and as a breeder of : choice sheep ho was known right through i the Dominion. The late Mr Shennan left Scotland when he was quite a young man in company with his late brother, Alexander, on July 8, 1657, and sailed from Liverpool on July 12 en route for New Zealand _ via l Melbourne in the Royal Mail steamship Emu, making the voyage in 58 days—a very good passage at that time. After a short stay m Melbourne the brothers sailed in tho brig Thomas and Henry for Port Chalmers, Captain Thomson, now of Port Chalmers, in command. The voyage was a fine one, taking 14 days. The Shennans landed at Dunedin on October 3, 1857. There were ‘no large ships in the harbor, only a few small coasters. Passengers had to go up the harbor m a boat, as the Upper Harbor was too shallow to take a ship of any tonnage. Tho Dunodiu Harbor was ,vory pretty at that time, as the hills on each side were covered with bush to the water’s’ edge. Dunedin was only a village, with a house here and there among the ridges. There were no streets, merely bullqok dray tracks, and a large portion of the town was still covered with native timber. Tho Shennans left Home with Hhe intention of starting sheep-farming in New Zealand; so after a short residence in the country they went on an exploring expedition with the object of selecting a sheep run. They explored a large portion of the country now known as the Central Otago district, and took up runs in tho valley of the Manuherikia, and named the stations Galloway and Moutere— Galloway after their native county in. Scotland. The Shennans were the first white men to explore that part of tho country. No bush was found, only scrub on the river bank in places. Game was plentiful in the form of wild 'duck and quail, and wild pigs were numerous. Tho stations were formed and stocked with sheep in April, 1858. As no timber could be found suitable for building a house or sbeop yards, nearest timber being 120 miles away, the work of forming a station was very difficult and expensive. The nearest neighbors at that time were 100 miles _away, so no assistance could bo got from them. Everything had to he packed on horseback or on bullock sledges, and wool and stores had to be taken on sledges for 120 miles, tho roads being very difficult. There were no roads, in fact, and tho pioneers had to travel over the ridges where a way could be found. But the country was nearly all taken up by sbeep-farmers in 1858-59. and after that time the roads were made passable for "bullock drays. Tho Shennans had a .very hard, rough time of it for some years, and were just getting comfortably settled when the gold diggings were found on the Upper Molyncux River. So the home of the squatter was invaded, and the quiet, retired life in the wilderness vanished like -a dream in the night. The country on the banks of tbq Molyneux, where no one but a shepherd with his dogs was ever seen, was changed within a few weeks from tho quiet of a wilderness into a scene of tho greatest excitement, and thousands of people looking for gold, townships springing up like mushrooms, stores, hotels, banks, theatres, etc., appeared as in ■a transformation scene. With the view of improving tho brefed of sheep in tho colony the _ Messrs Shennan imported high-class merino sheep from Germany and lo'ngwool sheep from Scotland in the years 1859 and 1861, and were the first direct importers of stud sheep to Otago. Mr Alexander Shennan went to the Old Country in 1862, and died at Edinburgh in 1863. The rough life he had lived in New Zealand brought on rheumatic fever, which caused his death, and so ended -a short, industrious life. Mr Watson Shennan bought the Pukctoi ran in the year 1868 and the Conical Hills Estate in 1878. _ Mr Watson Shennan took a, keen interest in the work of the Otago A. and P. Society. He was elected to tho committee of the society in 1910, and in 1915 was made a- governor of tho society. Mrs Shennan survives her husband. Tbs family consists of one daughter (Mrs Garth Gallawayl and two sons—Captain W. D. Shennan. M.C., of the Royal Engineers, at present in Egypt, and Mr Stuart Shennan, of Linburn station.

The death is announced of Mrs Martinelli, widow of the late Andrew Martinelli. The deceased, who *was in her 77th year, was born in Woodbury. Somersetshire, and arrived _in Now Zealand in the ship. Corona in tho early seventies. Sho is survived by one son. three daughters, and 14 grandchildren. Mr J. D. Bnasco (Napier) is the son _ referred to. and the daughters are Mrs Cinquegrana (Melbourne). Airs A. L. Applegarth (Dunedin), and Mrs Reggiardo (North-cast Valley).