DEATH OF MR ROBERT GRAHAM.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 104, 30 May 1885, Page 3

DEATH OF MR ROBERT GRAHAM.

It is with feelings of the most sincere regret that we have to record the demise of Mr Robert Graham, one of the earliest and best-known of the pioneers of colonisation in this land. The sad event, which took place at his residence, Emily Place, at 8 a.m. on May 27, was not altogether unexpected. For some years past the deceased gentleman had been suffering from the effects of a severe cold, and bronchitis supervened. Added to this, for several months past his general health had not been good, he being subject to that terrible malady, diabetes. As mentioned |in our last issue, a consultation of five dootors was held yesterday, and they unanimously agreed that there was no hope of recovery. There opinion was borne out by the facts as already stated. The deceased was in his sixty-fourth year, having boon born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1820. His father was one of the hard-headed farmer class, whose frugality and industry enabled him to rise considerably above the station in which he was born. He became the owner of some coal mines in Lanark, and it was at one of his father's coal pits that the subject of this notice first met with a genuine adventure. During a strike of the colliers he attempted to descend the mine. The strands of the rope had been cut by one of the disaffected employe's, and Mr Graham fell over 100 feet, being miraculously saved from death, He, however, sustained injuries that incapacitated him for some weeks. On his recovery he entered a mercantile house in Glasgow, and there remained for six years. At the age of 22 he decided on emigrating to New Zealand, and on the ISth ot June, 1842, left Greenock in the ship Duchess of Argyle, the first vessel to bring emigrants direct to Auckland. On arriving in Auckland on October 9th of that year, he again turned his attention to mercantile pursuits. Chartering a cutter, he loaded it with goods for the Bay of Islands. Having got as iar as Mongonui, through the want of a proper chart he decided to return to Auckland. In doing so, he ran quite by accident into the Bay, where he met his brother David, who had come to the colony two or three years before. The young men decided on enteringi nto business together, and the firm of R and D. Graham was established. Mr H. Graham proceeded to Sydney, purchased atock,and opened a branch in Auckland, the infant capital of the colony. Mr Graham, through straight dealing with the Maori race, acquired their confidence, and in 1845, when Hone Heko was meditating a descent on Koremreka, he was warned by that chief to save himself, tie chartered a schooner, and removed his goods to Auckland, just in time to escape pillage. In 1850, the brothers dissolved partnership, and Mr Robert Graham, chartering a vessel, took a cargo of potatoes to San Francisco. En route, the cargo was damaged, but the vessel went into Tahiti and was loaded with oranges, which sold well in 'Frisco. The ventureproved a profitable one. After three years' residence in San Francisco, he returned to Auckland, and having purchased some land at Ellerslie, engaged himself in breeding high-class stock. He subsequently purchased the island of Motutapu and the Lamb Hill estate, near Waiuku, So great was his energy that in one year he had 1,200 acres in Motutapu under grass and stocked. About this time Mr Graham had another narrow escape from death. Whilst sailing from Motutapu to Auckland in an open boat a gale sprang up, and Mr Graham only succeeded in keeping the waves irom swamping the boat by holding his macintosh over the stern. Prior to his visit to California, he had purchased the Waiwera property from a chief named Te Hemara, but through a defective title he was compelled to pay a second time. During the panic occasioned by threats of the Ngapuhi tribe to attack Auckland, the man whom Mr Graham had placed in charge of Waiwera buried the furniture and goods in the sand and fled. When the difficulty was over, tho property was teased to Mr John Anderson for eight years, and at the expiration of that time Mr Graham established tho nucleus of the present hotel and baths. On the granting of the Constitution, Mr Graham, who had always taken a warm interest in public affairs, was elected a member of the first Parliament, He brought himself into notice by strong advocacy of the appointment of a Native Advising Council composed of Europeans to advise the Governor in matters affecting the native race. Had this project been carried into effect, many of the.serious subsequent difficulties that arose between natives and Europeans would probably have been avoided. In 1856 he resisted unsuccessfully the land fund compact which inflicted so much injustice for many years on this provincial district, and was one of the most strenuous opponents of the removal of the seat of Government from Auckland. Mr Graham had some experience of the perils of the deep. He was on board the White Swan when she was wrecked on her way to Wellington, and conti'ibuted largely to the rescue of the crew and passengers. Returning towards Auckland i n the Lord Worsley, the steamer went ashore on the rocks at Te Namu, then inhabited by bloodthirsty natives. On landing, Mr Graham met the chief Wiremu Kingi, who proved friendly. The captain of the vessel, having landed provisions and luggage, went to NewPlyinouth forsuccour,and the command of the marooners devolved upon Mr Graham, on the fifth day after the stranding, the natives made the Europeans prisoners, and a Maori boy warned Mr Graham that it had been resolved to murder the crew and passengers, Mr Graham at once summoned a meeting of the natives, and assured them that their murder would be avenged by soldiers and men of war. Te Whiti, who was present, protested against the proposed massacre, but the other natives were apparently obdurate. The knowledge of the danger was confided by Mr Graham to two other passengers, he fearing that a panic would precipitate the murder. Next day, Mr Graham again met the natives, and after conferring with them for two hours, persuaded them to allow the Europeans to proceed to New Plymouth. One of the most fanatical of the Maoris rushed about flourishing his tomahawk, and swore he would murder the pakeha, and had to be overpowered and bound by his own people. While in this condition he pretended he had a vision from God. This vision, united with other superstitions, was the origin of the Hauha'u religion. Next morning, the Europeans having given up their arms, were released, and proceeded on the way to Taranaki, the cargo, including £6,000 worth of gold dust, being of course left behind. When ten miles on his journey, Mr Graham was overtaken by a native, who informed him that the safe containing the gold had been pillaged, With exemplary courage, he returned to Te Namu, found the gold in Wiremn Kingi's whare, and placing the two boxes of treasure on his horse, galloped out of the settlement, utterly heedless of the threats of the chief. - Mr Graham found his burden too heavy, and hid it in the fern. Two days later the party reaohed New Plymouth in safety. Aftor a consulta-

tion with the Superintendent of Taranaki, Mr Graham, aooompanied by a couple of natives, retired to where the gold had been hidden and recovered ib. On his return to New Plymouth with his precious burden, he had another narrow esoape. A native who met him on the road flourished a tomahawk and remarked, "I have long wished to kill a pakeha." Mr Graham laughed and replied, «• Your arm is not strong enough to kill me. Why do you waste your time when you can get abundance of goods at the wreck ?" The native then took his departure, and the party resumed t ne * r journey. South of the Mokau, Mr Graham encountered Wiremu Kingi (not the chief of the same name previously mentioned) with forty of his followers. This native stole the boxes while Mr Graham slept, and it was not until Mr Graham had exhausted his persuasive powers that Kingi was prevailed upon to return them. Without further adventure he reached New Plymouth in safety, and his exploit won the encomiums it deserved. Colonel Warre, then commanding the forces in Taranaki, gave him a complimentary banquet. He also received numerous letters of thanks, and, what was more substantial, a testimonial of £1,000 was presented to him by the insurance companies who held risks on the gold. On his return to Auckland he came out for the Superintendency of the province, which had just been resigned by Mr John Williamson. Mr Graham and Mr Williamson were political opponents, and when the latter found that Graham was a candidate, he changed his mind and contested tlio election with him. The result was that Mr Graham was returned by a majority of 500 votes over his opponent During the three years that Mr Graham held office, he carried out many important works, the Supreme Court, Post Office, Asylum, and Pantnure Bridgo being constructed during his regime. On the opening of the Thames Goldneld he acquired the lease from the natives of a considerable area of land, and founded the township of Grahamstown, now a portion of the Borough of Thames. Ho was partly instrumental in establishing tho steam tramway from Grahamstown to Tararu— the earliest railway in the colony. In 1872 he visited Scotland for the purpose of seeing his mother, but she died before he reached the shores of the Home country. He returned to the colony in 1573. He sold a considerable portion of the Ellerslie Estate to the Auckland Racing Club, and laid out the remainder on a cemetery. The bill for the purposo of establishing tho Cemetery passed through the House of Representatives, but was lost in the Upper House, and the Cemetery site was cut into building lots and sold, In 1878 he visited llotorua, and wad instrumental in concluding a peace between two hostile tribes at Maketu who were thirsting for each others' blood in consequence of a land dispute. In gratitude for his efforts, the chieis presented to him a considerable area of land near Lake Taupo, and containing some valuable hot springs. Prior to this lie had become possessor of some land at Ohinemutu, and established Lake House, one of the best known tourists' hotels in the Southern Hemisphere. Of late years Mr Graham has not taken an active part in politics but his knowledge of the native race, and hie success in dealing with them frequently caused successive Governments to seek his advice in periods of difficulty. The strongest points in the character of the deceased gentleman wore courage and enterprise, while his intelligence and administrative abilities ware beyond question. A gentleman who was acquainted with Mr Graham has sont in the following note: — "As you will doubtless to-night five some account of the late Mr R. Graham, think it only right to tell you that after about seven or eight years' close intercourse in business matters, I have seen him under the severest trials upon his patience and temper, but never once knew him to lose his temper or heard him say an angry word " The deceased gentleman leaves a large number of relatives to mourn their bereavement, and who will feel more than we can adequately express the loss of a man who endoared himself to the hearts of all with whom he came in contact. During his last illness he was assiduously attended on by Ilev. C. M. Nelson, and to that gentleman he expressed a wish that his remains should be interred in the cemetery of St. Mark's, ltemuera. The funeral will take place on Thursday afternoon, and it is in accordance with the deceased's own wish that the interment is to take place at St. Mark's.