FIVE TIMES MAYOR

Waikato Times, Volume 95, Issue 14965, 8 June 1922, Page 5

FIVE TIMES MAYOR

OLD RESIDENT’S RETURN

VISIT OF MR ISAAC COATES. MEMBER OF FIRST COUNCIL. There has been visiting Hamilton 6dring the past two days a well-known early resident of the town, in the person of Mr Isaar. Coates, the only surviving member of the first Hamilton Borough Council. Mr Coates arrived here upwards of 50 years ago, and was lor a long period actively associated with the public life ol' the town. For many years he was a farmer, when he held what is now part of the Ruakura Farm of Instruction. This was in those days known as Miraupekau, and the place where the Ruakura station now is was Ruakuri. Of course there was bush and scrub all round, and Ruakura was quite in the wilder- • ness, and very much different from what it is to-day. The people of the district had a great struggle to live, as there was no work and little upon. Mr Coates was the first resident of Waikato to send a consignment of meat Home, and he found when he did get his returns in that he could have sold at a better' turnover locally. For his second shipment he got nothing at all, as the vessel stranded at Teneriffe and the cargo was lost. He also got the first string reaper and binder in the Waikato. In turn he was farmer, storekeeper, timber-miller, flax miller, contractor, brick-maker, carrier, and followed various other occupations. He built the line from Te Awamutu to Otorohanga, and with a partner, the late Mr Metcalfe, continued the railway to Te Kuiti. The rates he paid on his Ruakura property of 400 acres, under the Kirikiriroa Road Board, was 2d an acre, and it was at his instance that Hamilton East was formed, into a town district, while he was also one of the prime movers in having Hamilton constituted a borough. He was Mayor five times, a member of the Hospital Board, one of the licensing commissioners for 13 years, chairman of the Kirikiriroa Road Board, member of the Waikato County Council, chairman of the Hamilton East School Committee, a member of the executive of the A. and P. Association, chairman of the executive committee of the South Auckland Racing Club for nearly 20 .years, and for 14 years tvas vicar’s warden at SI Peter’s Anglican Church. Mr Coates is in his 83ril year, and has crossed the ocean It times, having made five trips to i the Old Land. for a bad attack of sciatica, he is in perfect healtn, has excellent sight and possesses a-perfectly clear mind. To-day he left for Auckland en route for Melbourne, where he will join his son, who is an architect there.