AGED HUNDRED AND ONE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19454, 13 October 1937, Page 13

AGED HUNDRED AND ONE

PASSING OF PIONEER MR. JOHN KILMISTER MEMORIES OF EARLY DAYS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Mr. John Kilmister, of Cottleville Terrace, Thorndon, died yesterday at the age of 101 years. Practically all of his long life was spent in Wellington, where he arrived in 1841 by the ship Lady Nugent. For a short time he was in the South Island during the gold rush to Gabriel's Gully and again at Kaikoura. Last year he was the recipient of a congratulatory message from the King, the Governor-General, Viscount Galway, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, the Mayor Of Wellington, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, and many others, on his hundredth birthday. Mr. John Kilmister, of Cottleville Terrace, one of Wellington's early settlers, was born at Bath, England, and, with his parents, arrived in Wellington on March 17, 1841, by the ship Lady Nugent. The first home of the Kilmister family was a hut at the top of Bolton street. His father took an active part in the pioneer settlement of the Wellington district, pit-sawed the timber for the first house in Khandaliah, and assisted in completing the road between Johnsonville and Porlrua. The family shifted to the Hutt, and subsequently built a house on a section of land on what is now called The Terrace. The Kilmistcrs moved to a section of land at Porirua, and later to a farm on the Tinakori HiTls, near where the wireless station is now. Mr. Kilmister's father was one of the first to start making the road from Wellington to Karori; and he and his brother took part in making a road through Wadestown. Subsequently, John Kilmister bought a farm at Karori. He married Sarah Anne Judd, and they and their family lived on this farm for many years—until their eldest boys were able to take over the property. When John Kilmister retired from active life as a farmer, he went to live in Wellington. His wife died in 1931 at the age of 88 years. It may also be mentioned that his father and mother died on the same day in the year 1904 — his father then being 96 years of age and bis mother 94.

Many stories of early Wellington were told by Mr. Kilmister. When the family first arrived, there were Maori pas at Te Aro, Thorndon, and at Kaiwarra. He was 12 years of agewhen the earthquake of 1848 occurred. He, during memories recalled on the occasion of his hundredth birthday last year, that he was playing marbles when the earthquake occurred, and was surprised to see his marbles rolling about on the ground. When the family shifted to the Hut:, the natives helped them to build their home. On their removal back to Wellington, the timber for the new home was rafted down the Hutt River and across the harbour. Mr. Kilmister recalled that the earthquake of > 1855, started at about 9 o'clock at night and occasional shakes occurred for some days. Mr. Kilmister said last year that his life in the early days was a hard one, but he looked after himself, hehad not been a drinking man, had never smoked, and had always eaten a little less than lie felt able to eat.

Tracing back to the days of the 'forties when he first arrived In Wellington, Mr. Kilmister recalled that the Maoris were very friendly to the new arrivals. One old warrior used to relate how he could remember the visit of Captain Cook. The Maoris thought the ship was "a great rata tree floating with its branches sticking up." Mr. Kilmister also remembered seeing Te Rauparaha driving a carriage presented to him by Sir George Grey.