WEST COAST’S FIRST EUROPEAN BABY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 July 1915, Page 5

WEST COAST’S FIRST EUROPEAN BABY.

ARTHUR LUFF. Greymouth’s claim to number amongst its citizens the first European child born on the West Coast is not accurate, contends the Westport Times. There is a tradition of a baby having been born about 1862, at the West Lagoon, Westport, but it did not live. The mother seems to have walked from Nelson. The first recorded birth of a European child is that of Arthur Luff, son of Mr and Mrs Frederick Luff, which event took place at Westport on 19th March, 1863. The second birth, was that of Emily, Luff, also at Westport, on 30th April, 1864. Mr Arthur Luff at present resides at Napier. Mr arid Mrs ’Frederick Luff were married ■I at Wanganui. They have reared in Westport a family of twelve children, and there are seventy-five grandchildren (Arthur and Emily each added twelve to the population), and twenty great-grand-children. Mr Fred Luff landed in Westport in 1861 (coming from Nelson in the ketch Jane) and ho is now easilv the oldest pettier on the West Coast. ‘T first cama here alone,” said Mr Luff, “and . now‘there-are a hundred of us.” A good citizen, a pioneer of the best sort, is l4 Fred” Luff, and it is satisfactory to learn that he is in good health. Mrs came to Westport as a young bride in 1862, is somewhat of an invalid. The history of these two sterling pioneers is the history of the West Coast. Women who enjoy the comforts and conveniences of : to-day can hardly realise the experiences of Mrs Luff on the “Wild West Coast” from 1862 down to 1866, when Westport was really settled by Europeans.