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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Onehunga

page break

Onehunga.

Onehunga is a maritime borough on the Manukau harbour, and lies about eight miles south from Auckland. It is of historic interest, inasmuch as it was originally settled by military pensioners, but its progress has not been so rapid as many other provincial towns, owing, probably, to its nearness to Auckland, with which it is connected by rail and road, and a coach line and a tram service successfully compete with the railway. It is connected with the south by a road across the Mangere bridge, which spans the Manukau, and by rail, via Penrose Junction. The surroundings of Onehunga are very beautiful. Mount Mangere rises on the southern portion of the Manukau, One Tree Hill stands high on the northern horizon, and on the west the Waitakerei Ranges run down to the sea. The broad expanse of the Manukau harbour stretches for eighteen miles to the heads, and it was in these waters that the ill-fated H.M.S. “Orpheus” was wrecked, on the 7th of February, 1863, with the loss of 181 lives. The pastoral country surrounding the town is clothed in a smiling green; the soil is volcanic, and there are many substantial farms in the vicinity.

Within the borough there are many handsome private residences. Building is being industriously carried on; and in July, 1901, a new post and telegraph office, and a new public school were in course of erection. Among the churches there are St. Peter's Anglican Church, the Church of the Assumption (Roman Catholic), Presbyterian, Wesleyan, and Congregational Churches, and a Salvation Army Barracks. The large public school has over 600 scholars on the roll, with an average attendance of about 560. There is also St. Mary's (Roman Catholic) Boys' School, and the Sisters of Mercy conduct a school at the Convent. The industries in and about the town include a woollen factory, tanneries, sawmills, and iron
Onehunga Wharves.

Onehunga Wharves.

page 648 foundries. Extensive ironworks were erected for treating the Taranaki iron-sand, but they did not prove a success. The harbour of Manukau is under the control of the Government Marine Department, but there is a strong feeling in Onehunga that it should be managed by the Auckland Harbour Board. There is considerable shipping at the port, and at the present time (July, 1901) the wharfage accommodation is far from being sufficient. Steamers and other vessels ply constantly between Onehunga and other New Zealand ports.

Sir George Maurice O'Rorke, K. Bach., Speaker of the House of Representatives, has sat in parliament for Manukau for many years. He was first elected speaker in 1879, in succession to Sir William Fitzherbert, K.C.M.G. He was speaker of the house in five successive parliaments until replaced in the new parliament of 1891 by Hon. Major Steward. He was, however, reelected to his old honourable post in the parliaments of 1893 and 1899. Sir Maurice O'Rorke has always enjoyed the confidence of all sides of the house, not only for his firmness and impartiality, but also through his entensive knowledge of parliamentary procedure and legislative jurisprudence.

The Borough Of Onehunga has an area of 1200 acres and the estimated annual value of the ratable property is £16,512. A general rate of Is in the £ is levied, and the total annual revenue is about £3400. Onehunga has the distinction of being the first town in the British dominions to be presided over by a lady mayor. It was proclaimed a borough in 1877, and Mr. D. Jackson was elected the first mayor. He was followed by Messrs Waller, Codlin, Dr. Scott, Dr. Erson, Messrs C. C. Fleming, Michael Yates, Mrs Yates, and the present mayor, Mr. D. A. Sutherland. Mr. R. Richardson has filled the positions of Town Clerk, Valuator, Treasurer, and Rate Collector for the past eight years. Mr. Alfred Hunt is the Borough Inspector, Dr. W. G. Scott, the Health Officer, and Captain J. Neale, the Harbourmaster. At the census of April, 1901, the borough had a population of 3015.

Great Barrier Island.

Great Barrier Island.

His Worship The Mayor, Mr. Donald Alexander Sutherland, was Mayor before from 1895 to 1897, and proved himself one of the best mayors that ever administered the affairs of the borough. He worked hard to carry a loan to supply the outside districts with water, and several necessary reforms were accomplished during his term of office. But for the firm stand taken by Mr. Sutherland the present cemetery would have been lost to the district, as some of the residents did their best to get the reserve set aside as a sports ground. Mr. Sutherland was born in Onehunga, and is a son of the late Mr. D. A. Sutherland. He was educated at the Auckland College and Grammar School, and afterwards went to Australia, whence he subsequently returned and settled on his farm at Te Papa, Onehunga. Mr. Sutherland is well and favourably known in the district, and takes great interest in yachting.

Hanna, photo.Mr. D. A. Sutherland.

Hanna, photo.
Mr. D. A. Sutherland.

Councillor William Colledge has held a seat on the Onehunga Borough Council since 1890, having been re-elected each time he has offered his services, and has proved himself to be an energetic and straightforward representative of the burgesses. During his various terms of office the township has seen the introduction of gas and water, and miles of new footpaths have been formed under his personal supervision as chairman of the streets committee. Mr. Colledge is a son of the late Mr. John Simpson Colledge, a very old and respected settler in Onehunga. He was born in Derbyshire, England, came to New Zealand with his parents in 1847, and has resided continuously in Onehunga. He was brought up to a farming life. Mr. Colledge has been one of the most progressive members of the council, and has always warmly supported anything to assist in the advancement of Onehunga. He has in the past been connected with the local Friendly Societies. Mr. Colledge has now retired from active employment. He resides
The late Mr. J. S. Colledge.

The late Mr. J. S. Colledge.

Hanna, photo.Councillor W. Colledge.

Hanna, photo.
Councillor W. Colledge.

page 649 on his property, “Seaview,” Neilson Street, and devotes the greater part of his time to the affairs of the borough.

Councillor William Henry Edwards was elected to the Borough Council of Onehunga in January, 1901. He is a native of Tasmania, and has been settled since 1866 in Onehunga, where he follows the building trade.

Councillor C. V. Hill has been associated with the advocacy of the water supply scheme for Onehunga, and with other good work in the Council. He resides at Ellerslie, where he is caretaker of the racecourse.

Councillor John Edmond Kelsall, who headed the poll at the Onenunga Borough Council election, on the 24th of April, 1901, is a new member of that body. Mr. Kelsall carries on business in Queen Street, Onehunga, as a painter and house decorator.

Councillor Colin McLeod was elected to the Onehunga Borough Council in 1898. He was born in Ontario, Canada, and was for some time engaged in railway construction. He settled in Onehunga in 1895, and his residence, “Dunvegan,” is situated in Upper Queen Street.

Councillor John Norman Rishworth was elected as a Member of the Onehunga Borough Council at the election of April, 1901. He is referred to elsewhere as a dentist.

Councillor John Rowe, J.P., has, with the exception of about two years, been continuously a member of the Onehunga Borough Council since the year 1883. At the election of 1900 he was elected at the head of the poll, although absent from the district at the time. He has always taken an intelligent and keen interest in anything appertaining to the progress and welfare of the town, and was one of the principal promoters of the water works scheme, which he materially helped to bring to a successful issue. Mr. Rowe was also prominently identified at a subsequent period with the proposal to extend the water supply to the outlying districts, and, as a memento of his energies in that direction, was presented with a pictorial souvenir illustrative of the highly successful poll of the ratepayers taken in connection with the question. Mr. Rowe is a native of Cornwall, England, where he served an apprenticeship as a joiner. In 1874 he came out to New Zealand and worked as a journeyman for about three years, when he started in business for himself at Onehunga as a contractor. Few men in his line have been more successful. His strict integrity and devotion to the interests of his clients soon brought him into the front rank, and his name is a synonym for straightforward dealing and faithful workmanship. A large number of the leading places of business and public buildings in Onehunga, including the Borough Council Chambers, as well as numerous residences, have been erected by him. More recently he has been kept fully occupied with extensive building contracts in the country, and mining districts, and always employs a large staff of workmen. In addition to filling public positions, Mr. Rowe has served the cause of education in his own district as a member of the public school committee. He is a member of the Finance, the Streets, and the Cemetery Committees of the Borough Council, and, in the absence of the Mayor, is almost invariably chosen to preside over meetings of the Council, a position which he fills with marked efficiency. Mr. Rowe was made a Justice of the Peace in 1901.

Councillor J. Rowe.

Councillor J. Rowe.

Councillor James Shaldrick, a progressive member of the Onehunga Borough Council, was elected in 1888, and has worked hard for the welfare and advancement of the
Hanna, photo.Councillor J. Shaldrick.

Hanna, photo.
Councillor J. Shaldrick.

town. It was on Mr. Shaldrick's motion that the necessity for dredging the approaches to the wharf was brought before the Government, with the result that the Westport Harbour Board's dredge was chartered, and the depth of water at the wharf considerably increased. Mr. Shaldrick was born and educated at Onehunga, and served for two years in the grocery business. He then spent twelve months at sea, which he left to gain a knowledge of the timber business, under the late Mr. M. H. Roe. In 1881 he joined Mr. Alfred Barnes, agent for the Union and Northern Shipping Companies, as shipping clerk, and has remained with him ever since. As a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters, Court No. 5261, Mr. Shaldrick has been through all the chairs, and is the delegate to the Auckland District Court, in which he is a P.D.C.R. He also represents the strength of the Foresters' Courts at the United Friendly Societies' conference, which meets monthly.

Councillor John Stoupe, Member of the Onehunga Borough Council, was returned at the election of April, 1901. He was formerly a member of the Council.

Mr. John Dickenson Jackson, first Mayor of Onehunga, was born at Edmonton, Middlesex, England, in 1821, and was the second son of Mr. Samuel Jackson, a member of the London Stock Exchange. He arrived in Auckland in March, 1859, by the ship “Excelsior,” which was 107 days on the voyage. Before Onehunga became a borough, Mr. Jackson held the position of clerk and chairman of the road board. In 1868, he made the first valuation of the town which was incorporated into a borough in 1877. Mr. Jackson was elected the first mayor without opposition; subsequently he held the office again and was also a councillor. In connection with St. Peters, Onehunga, he held the office of people's churchwarden for fourteen years, and was lay secretary of the Auckland Diocesan Synod from 1873 to 1899, when he resigned.

Dr. William Robert Close Erson, M.D., occupied the Mayoral Chair of Onehunga for seven years, and during that time he made important improvements in connection with the Council's business. It was during his first year of office, in 1887–8, that the sum of £5000 was borrowed to complete the water supply—a most successful and necessary undertaking. The Council Chambers were erected during his term of office, and the decision to proceed with them was arrived at on the casting vote of the mayor. In all public matters Dr. Erson was careful and prompt, and in social functions exceptionally happy. As Mayor of Onehunga he paid official visits to the Earl of Onslow, Earl of Glasgow, Admiral Fairfax and other distinguished personages. Dr. Erson was Mayor in 1898–9, and in November, 1899, when he was opposed by Mrs. Yates, he was reelected by a majority of two to one. In 1886 Dr. Erson was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Atkinson Government, but about the middle of 1901 he resigned that and other public appointments.

page 650
Dr. W. R. C. Erson.See page 649.

Dr. W. R. C. Erson.
See page 649.

Captain Michael Yates was elected to the Onehunga Borough Council in 1885 and sat till 1888, when he was elected Mayor, but owing to ill-health he was compelled to resign the chair in January, 1892. Captain Yates deserves credit for many improvements effected during his long connection with the Council. Many very important works were carried out, without resort to borrowing. He claims to have considerably improved the financial position of the borough, as well as to have inaugurated the system of lighting the town with gas. Captain Yates was born in Larnock, Scotland, and on his voyage to Victoria in 1852 was shipwrecked in the Gulf of St. Vincent, near Port Adelaide. The following year he came to New Zealand, where he engaged in the coastal trade and afterwards with the South Sea Islands, in connection with which he was in command of the “Industry” and, subsequently, of the “Jessie Nicol,” which was built at the North Shore for the firm of Messrs Nicol and Yates. Captain Yates was also at one time owner and master of the brig “Coronet.” In 1874, owing to ill-health, he gave up the sea after a most successful career, during which he neither lost a life nor a ship. In 1879 he took charge of the brigantine “Clansman,” for a trip to Melbourne, and with that exception he has led a retired life for nearly a quarter of a century. Captain Yatos is a member of the Masonic fraternity.

Mrs. Elizabeth Yates, Ex-Mayor of Onehunga, has probably excited more public interest than any other lady in New Zealand. She was not only the first of her sex to fill a civic chair in New Zealand, but she can also claim to have been the only lady mayor in the British Empire. During her term of office she received many distinguished visitors from other parts of the world, and has received letters in different languages testifying to the widespread interest taken in the circumstance of a lady fulfilling the function of a chief magistrate. By virtue of her office Mrs. Yates was a Justice of the Peace, the only lady Justice in the British dominions. This fact was referred to in a letter which Mrs. Yates received from Queen Victoria, who expressed her satisfaction at the position achieved by women in New Zealand. Mrs. Yates was born in Caithness, Scotland, and is the daughter of the late Mr. Oman, who emigrated with his family to New Zealand when she was quite young. Subsequent to the death of her father in 1875, she married Captain Yates, and has resided within a few yards of the old homestead ever since. At the expiration of one of Dr. Erson's terms as mayor of Onehunga, she contested the election, and, as a local paper phrased it, “went in with flying colours.” It is stated that the council was in debt at that time to the extent of £800, which was liquidated and a sinking fund established and increased to £200 in the twelve months. The fire brigade, which had been disbanded, was reorganised, and the returns show that more money was spent on roads and footpaths during Mrs. Yates' mayoralty than in any previous term.

Mr. Joseph Hastie, who sat on the Onehunga Borough Council in 1882, has been connected with public life for many years. He was chairman of the Highway Board, and was connected with that body for twenty-six years. Mr. Hastie is a native of London-derry, Ireland, and came out to Australia with his wife in 1855. He returned to his native land in 1856, but came back to New Zealand three years later, when he took up land at Te Papa, where he has remained ever since. Mr. Hastie has done much for Onehunga, and had his share of the rough life the early pioneers were subject to. Both Mr. and Mrs Hastie are well known in the district, and are deservedly popular.

Mr. and Mrs. J. Hastie.

Mr. and Mrs. J. Hastie.

Mr. George Hankins James was a Member of the Onehunga Borough Council from 1884 to 1886, and he also served for a few months in 1900, when he resigned the position. Mr. James was amongst the proposition. Mr. James was amongst the progressive members who introduced the water scheme, which was eventually carried against strong opposition. He was born in Onehunga in 1859, and brought up to the trade of a builder, which he followed as a journeyman until 1880, when he commenced business on his own account. Mr. James has erected several of the prominent business places at Onehunga, such as the bank, Rishworth's Buildings, and many other places. Mr. James still takes a lively interest in public matters.

Mr. George Vause was a Member of the Onehunga Borough Council in 1899–1900, when he strongly advocated many progressive works of great advantage to the district. He was an independent member of the council, and to show his disapproval of the action of the council in letting the park for grazing purposes, instead of making improvements and encouraging sport, he resigned his position as a councillor in 1900. Mr. Vause was born in the King Country, and is a son of the late Mr. G. Vause, a well known settler of the Raglan district. He received his education from a private tutor, and completed his studies under the Rev. G. Brown. For some time he followed a seafaring life, but afterwards turned his attention to sawmilling, and for twenty-five years he has been connected with various mills in the Auckland district. Mr. Vause came to Onehunga in 1888, and has the contract for cutting and dressing timber at the Kauri Timber Co.'s mill. He is a member of the Onehunga school committee, and a director of the Onehunga Perpetual Land Building and Investment Society.

Mr. G. Vause.

Mr. G. Vause.

page 651

Onehunga Rifle Volunteers. The services of this corps were accepted by the Government in July, 1898, and it is now one of the most efficient corps in the Auckland district. Through the personal efforts of the members they have made a rifle range, and obtained a good drill hall. The officers of the corps are Captain W. N. McIntosh, Lieutenants James Robb and John Ward. Non-commissioned officers: Colour-Sergeant J. T. Williams, Sergeants Richardson, N. Browne, Ormrod, and Whyte; Corporals Barker, Brown, Strong, and Jackson. The Rey. Canon Haselden is honorary chaplain to the corps, and Dr. W. R. Close Erson is surgeon-captain. There are eleven marksmen in the company and twenty first class shots. Nine members of the company went with the New Zealand contingents to the war in South Africa. The company's finances show a substantial balance to its credit after providing for all liabilities. Corporal Browne was appointed Regimental Sergeant-Major to the Fourth New Zealand Contingent, and Private Colhoun Sergeant in the Fifth, for South Africa.

The Harbour Of Manukau is not controlled by a Board, but is under the supervision of the Marine Department. Captain J. Neale is the present harbour master.

Post Office. Onehunga was established originally as a pensioners' settlement on the shores of the Manukau, and, fifty years ago it did not require a very large staff to deal with its mail matter, which consisted, perhaps, of half-a-dozen letters a month. At the present day, in consequence of its being the chief medium of communication between Auckland and the south, the mails which pass through the Onehunga post office average some thousands of bags a month, besides the local correspondence for about 3000 inhabitants. The office has the customary money order, savings bank, and telegraph branches, and old military pensioners have given way to Old Age pensioners as recipients of monthly payments. The present postmaster, Mr. George J. Browne, is one of the oldest officers in the service, having joined in 1861, and passed in succession through the offices at Dunedin, Hokitika, Auckland, Gisborne and Napier. His staff consists of two clerks, two letter carriers, and two messengers.

Mr. George J. Browne, eldest son of Mr. Joseph Browne, sometime conductor of the Auckland Choral Society, was born in 1840. He assisted his father in establishing the Auckland Choral Society, and has been organist and choirmaster of St. Mark's, Remuera; St. Paul's and All Saints, Dunedin; All Saints, Hokitika; St. Mary's, Auckland; Holy Trinity, Gisborne; and St. John's, Napier. He has also conducted musical societies and concerts in each of these towns. Mr. Browne is a prominent Freemason, and takes great interest in the welfare and prosperity of the province of Auckland.

Onehunga Public School. This school was one of the first suburban schools established under the Auckland Board of Education. It was opened by Mr. Alexander Grant, M.A., who held the position of headmaster for several years. The school was very successfully conducted by him; the children doing good work and obtaining scholarships. After Mr. Grant's appointment to the High School at Waimate, Mr. John Gurr was appointed to the headmastership, and ably conducted the school up to the time of his death. Mr R. D. Stewart was the next headmaster, and under him the school kept up its reputation for good work and for obtaining scholarships. In 1897 Mr. Stewart was appointed headmaster of the Wellesley Street school, Auckland, and Mr. William N. McIntosh, the present headmaster, who conducted the Epsom school with marked success for eleven years, was appointed to succeed him. Under Mr. McIntosh's management the school has fully kept up its reputation in every respect. The Board is now (1900) on the point of erecting a new school building with class-rooms, lighted and ventilated on the most scientific principles. The school has a flag staff with a brass plate, containing the names of the sixteen men, volunteers and civilians, who went to the war in South Africa, from Onehunga and Mangere. Its cost was subscribed by the school children, the Onehunga Rifles, and the Onehunga Fire Brigade.

Mr. William N. McIntosh, the Headmaster of the Onehunga Public School, is a native of Auckland. He joined the Auckland Education Board in 1880, and was appointed to his present position in 1896. Mr. McIntosh was one of the founders of the Onehunga Rifles, of which he is captain.

St. Peter's Church, Onehunga. This church is one of the oldest in the diocese of Auckland, and was built in 1848. It is seated for 300 adults and has a distinctively ecclesiastical aspect. The present vicar is the Rev. Canon Haselden. Adjacent is a stone schoolhouse, which was the first stone school erected in the diocese, and has accommodation for 150 adults. Under the present vicar the church, school, and the fine parsonage of sixteen rooms, have been put into excellent order.

The Rev. John Haselden, Vicar of St. Peter's Church, Onehunga, and Canon of Auckland Cathedral, was born at Notting Hill, London, in 1854, and arrived in Auckland with his father in 1860. He was educated at the Rev. Dr. Kidd's collegiate school, and passed through a three-years' course as a theological student at St. John's College, Auckland, under the Rev. John Kinder, D.D. He was ordained deacon by Bishop Cowie in 1877, and priest in 1879. Mr. Haselden was assistant minister of St. Sepulchre's parish for three years, incumbent of St. Luke's Church, Mount Albert, for five years, and was Organising Clergyman and Diocesan Missionary for eleven years, when he accepted the cure of St. Peter's, Onehunga. When the s.s. “Wairarapa” was wrecked in 1894, on the Great Barrier, Canon Haselden accompanied the police rescue party to the scene of the disaster, and remained there for three weeks, during which eighty-five bodies were recovered from the sea and received Christian burial. Canon Haselden was married in 1882 to a daughter of the late Hon. J. A. Gilfillan, M.L.C.

Wesleyan Church, Onehunga. The original church, which was afterwards used as the school, was erected as early as 1850, and replaced by the present building in 1877. It is situated in Grey Street, Onehunga, and can accommodate 250 persons. An efficient choir, under the leadership of Mr. J. Laking, is assisted by an American organ. The Onehunga church is the headquarters of the Manukau circuit, in which there are four other churches; namely, Otahuhu, Mangere, Woodside and Flat Bush. The Sunday school recently erected is one of the best appointed buildings of the kind to be found in the Auckland district. It comprises a large assembly hall with six class-rooms besides adequate provision for the duties of the secretary and librarian. Here the work of the school, Christian Endeavour Society and Band of Hope is vigorously carried out. The parsonage, which adjoins the church, is an historical dwelling, built at Mangungu, Hokianga, in 1839, for the late Rev. Mr. Bumby, a pioneer missionary, and removed to its present site in 1856.

The Rev. Cornelius Griffin, who succeeded the Rev. S. Lawry in the charge of the Onehunga Wesleyan Church, was ordained to the ministry with Mr. Lawry at Nelson. Mr. Griffin was born in Birmingham, and became a probationer at Bedford. Arriving in New Zealand in 1879, he went to Auckland, and the Waikato, where he was stationed for about two years, during which he was ordained at Nelson, which he visited for the purpose. Mr. Griffin ministered at Waimate, Lawrence, Greymouth, Hokitika, Invercargill, Springston, and Leeston, prior to taking up his present charge.

Rev. Samuel Lawry, formerly Minister of the Wesleyan Church at Onehunga, and Superintendent of the Manukau Circuit, was born in Cornwall in 1854, and is the third son of Mr. Walter Lawry, of Springston, Canterbury — an octogenarian pioneer Colonist and a local
Rev. S. Lawry.

Rev. S. Lawry.

page 652 Methodist preacher for upwards of fifty years. Mr. Lawry is descended from a clerical stock. He was educated specially for the ministry by the Rev. J. B. Richardson, of the Hutt, Wellington, afterwards became one of the first divinity students at the Wesley College, Three Kings, Auckland, and entered the ministry in 1877. His first charge was at Marton, and he has been successively stationed at Dunedin, Hokitika, Pukekohe, Te Aroha, Ashburton, Grafton Road, Onehunga, and his present charge at Palmerston North. Mr. Lawry takes an active interest in temperance work and the Christian Endeavour movement. He is a past member of the New Zealand Alliance, and introduced the Christian Endeavour movement in Ashburton, in 1892, and has since been president of the local society in every circuit where he has been in charge.

Congregational Church, Onehunga. The first Congregational Church at Onehunga was built in 1861. The late Mr. John Rout, senior, of Auckland, presented the congregation with a free gift of the ground, and a substantial building to seat 200 people. In February, 1861, the opening services were held, and the late Rev. R. Laishley became the pastor. He was succeeded by the late Rev. Thomas Hamer, who remained many years. On the resignation of Mr. Hamer, the church, not being in a position to maintain a pastor, depended on the services of supplies. In November, 1883, a call was tendered to and accepted by the Rev. H. Miller, now of Napier, and, the cause prospering, it was agreed to purchase the building now used in Queen Street. This building and the necessary alterations cost over £1000. The present pastor is the Rev. C. A. Lyon, late of Gore.

Lodge Manukau, No. 24, N.Z.C., Onehunga, has passed through many trials and troubles. It was established in 1872, and did some good work, but to pay off debts and accumulated interest, the Lodge had to part with the hall which it had built. However, the members managed to keep the Lodge alive, and it is now making good progress. In fact, Masonry at Onehunga is doing its duty in connection with the cultivation of universal good will, the brotherhood of man, works of charity and the relief of distressed brethren; and the Lodge is practically free from debt.

Rishworth, J. N., Dental-Surgeon, Queen Street, Onehunga. Mr. Rishworth was born in Blenheim in 1876 and educated at the Nelson College. He served a three years' apprenticeship with Mr. A. W. Tatton, and finished his dental education with Mr. C. J. Deek, formerly of the London Dental Hospital. He then acted as locum tenens for Mr. Gresham in Gore, Southland, until he sat for his examination, which he passed in Dunedin in 1897, and then came to Onehunga to commence the practice of his profession. Mr. Rishworth makes a specialty of gold filling and artificial teeth. His offices are tastefully fitted up and equipped with every modern appliance incidental to dental surgery. Mr. Rishworth is a member of the Borough Council; and also holds the position of Worshipful Master of Lodge Waiuku, No. 90, and Grand Master of the Loyal Manukau Lodge, I.O.O.F.,M.U.

Mr. J. N. Rishworth.

Mr. J. N. Rishworth.

Smith, Tilson, Chemist, Onehunga. This flourishing business was established many years ago by Mr. T. B. Hill, and was purchased in 1889 by the present proprietor, under whose management it has made notable advances. In the dental branch of his business Mr. Smith has made a discovery by which teeth can be extracted by an entirely new process, which is absolutely painless. The following testimonial was written by a patient of Mr. Smith's, and as the writer was an entire stranger, what he says is all the more valuable as a testimony to Mr. Smith's skill and ability: “I, Richard White, as a traveller through the colony, hereby desire to take this way of showing my gratitude to Mr. Tilson Smith, chemist, of Onehunga, for having relieved me of intense pain from a badly ulcerated tooth, which was threatening to cause an abcess in the jaw. I could not resist my inclination to cheerfully give this testimonial as a slight recognition of his ability in his profession; and especially when I say that the operation of removing the tooth was entirely painless. Besides this, the charge for his consummate skill is most reasonable. I have had need of similar professional assistance in some of the chief cities of America, and have also travelled in Canada. China, and Japan, but I have never met with greater ability than Mr. Smith has proved himself to possess.” Mr. Smith is a native of Nottingham, England, and after receiving his education at Great Grimsby, he served his apprenticeship in Manchester. He came to New Zealand in 1881, and landed at Auckland. After spending twelve months in Mangere for his health, Mr. Smith joined Mr. Gardner (whose business is now owned by Mr. Haslett), as managing assistant. Mr. Smith subsequently filled various positions in his profession, in the first place at Blenheim in the South Island, and subsequently at Napier, and Wanganui. Finally he commenced business on his own account at Onehunga. As a Freemason Mr. Smith is a P.M. of the Onehunga Lodge. He has always taken a prominent part in musical circles, and is well known locally as an accomplished writer of verse.

Mr. T. Smith.

Mr. T. Smith.

The Onehunga branch of the Auckland Savings Bank is a handsome two-storied building situated in Queen Street, and was erected in 1886 of red brick with Oamaru stone facings. It contains eight rooms, including a spacious banking chamber, office and private quarters for the manager. The cost of the premises was about £1500, and they were built to the design of Mr. E. Bartley, architect. The bank is open every afternoon and on Saturday mornings and evenings.

Mr. James William Watts, Agent of the Onehunga branch of the Auckland Savings Bank, was born in Sydney in 1865, and is the eldest son of Mr. W. J. Watts, of that city. He arrived in Onehunga at an early age and received his education at the district public school, was engaged in mercantile pursuits for five years, and in 1882 entered the service of the bank as a junior clerk, gradually working up to his present position, which he received at the opening of the branch in 1887. Mr. Watts is a member of the Onehunga Musical Society, and secretary of the Onehunga Congregational Church. In 1886 he married the eldest daughter of Mr. James Rout, of Te Papapa.

Jones, Adam, Architect and Builder, Queen Street, Onehunga. This business was page 653 established by the proprietor in 1886. Mr. Jones has done a good deal of building in the district. The residence of Dr. Erson, long Mayor of Onehunga, and several of the leading business premises have been designed by him, notably Mr. F. Prime's fine shop, the block occupied by Mr. A. Hughes, and many other buildings. He was born in Yorkshire, England, and attended the Wakefield School of Art, where he gained several certificates and prizes for freehand geometry and building construction. Mr. Jones came to New Zealand in 1884, and since settling in Onehunga has worked up a good, and still steadily increasing business.

Hibernian Hotel (Robert Ternahan, proprietor), Queen Street, Onehunga. Mr. Ternahan is a native of Belfast, Ireland, and came to New Zealand in 1861 by the ship “Northern Bride.” In 1875 he settled in Onehunga, and has since then occupied the Hibernian Hotel. The “Hibernian” has a good name in the district, and Mr. Ternhan is well known as a courteous and hospitable landlord.

Hibernian Hotel.

Hibernian Hotel.

Onehunga Boot Factory (Albert Hughes, proprietor), Onehunga. Branches: Ellerslie; and Hawera, Taranaki. Bankers, National Bank of New Zealand. This extensive business has been worked up from a very modest beginning, and it speaks well for the energy and ability of Mr. Hughes that it is now one of the leading industries of Onehunga. The shop is built of brick, with double-fronted windows, in which splendid assortments of English and colonial boots and shoes are displayed. The factory is situated at the rear of the building, and has been specially erected by the proprietor to suit the boot manufacturing business. It has a floorage space of over 5000 feet, and all the latest machinery has been imported by Mr. Hughes, in order to cope with his fast increasing trade. Thirty-five hands are employed, and 25,000 pairs of boots are manufactured yearly. A traveller is kept constantly employed, and goods are sent as far south as Masterton.

Mr. Albert Hughes, the Proprietor, is a native of London, and came to New Zealand with his parents in 1867. He received his education in Auckland, and afterwards served his apprenticeship with Messrs Trenwith Bros., with whom he remained eleven years. Mr. Hughes is a prominent Forester, has been through all the chairs, and enacts the part of Robin Hood at the annual gala of the Order.

Mr. A. Hughes.

Mr. A. Hughes.

The Onehunga Woollen Mills (James Park, manager), were erected in 1885 and were taken over by the existing company in 1889. The various departments of the factory are supplied with all the latest machinery. Fabrics such as blankets and tweeds manufactured at Onehunga have gained a high reputation in the colonial markets. The factory employs about ninety hands, and its annual output is valued at between £25,000 and £30,000. In Mr. J. Park the company has a very efficient and painstaking manager for its factory.

Mr. James Park, Manager, was born at Galashiels, Selkirkshire, Scotland, in the year 1838. He served his apprenticeship in the Buckholm Spinning Mills and remained there four years after the completion of his articles, when he became foreman over the self-acting mules in Messrs P. and R. Sanderson's mills at Galashiels, a position he filled for fourteen years. In 1876, he was engaged by the Warrnambool Woollen Mill Company, of Victoria, to erect and take charge of its spinning and carding machinery. After the destruction of these mills by fire, Mr. Park obtained an appointment in the mills of Messrs Ross and Glendining at Dunedin. Some time afterwards he left their employment to take charge of the spinning and carding branch in the Oamaru Woolen Mills, where he remained for two years. On the establishment of the Onehunga Woollen Works in 1885, Mr. Park was appointed to fit up the carding and spinning machinery and continued at the works until the formation of the present company in 1889, when he was appointed manager. Mr. Park was married in the Old Country in 1860 and has six children.

Mr. J. Park.

Mr. J. Park.

Wren, Charles Thomas, Nursery, man, Pah Road, Mount Roskill. Mr. Wren formerly owned the Mount Hobson Nursery, at Remuera, where he has four acres well stocked with nursery goods of every description, including permanently
Mr. C. T. Wren.

Mr. C. T. Wren.

page 654 planted marmalade oranges, with which he had good success. From two to six men were constantly employed in the nursery. Mr. Wren was born in Hertfordshire in 1833, and educated at the Monnoux Grammar School, at Walthamstow, in Essex. Disliking the calling of his father, that of coach-building, he was, when fourteen years of age, placed to the gardening profession. In this he was very successful, and on completion of his apprenticeship he was placed as an improver and ultimately as a foreman in the celebrated gardens of the Duke of Sutherland at Trentham. While quite a young man he was entrusted with the management of some new gardens in Cheshire, and successfully carried them on for three years. He was then appointed to superintend the gardens of the Duke of Leinster at Carton, in Ireland, but relinquished the position after three years of approved management, to enter upon the duties of garden superintendent at Trentham. In 1859, Mr. Wren came to New Zealand and settled in Auckland as a nurseryman, and under his personal supervision the Mount Hobson nurseries earned a first-class reputation. He afterwards sold his Mount Hobson property, which was continued as an orangery, and he established himself at Mount Roskill on a portion of the Pah estate.

Jackson, George Joseph, Bookseller, Stationer, Fancy Goods Dealer, Queen Street, Onehunga, Agent for the London and Berlin Piano Company, Mutual Life Association of Australasia, Messrs A. Yates and Co, and the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Company. Telephone 486. Bankers, National Bank of New Zealand. Mr. Jackson was born at Rotherham, Yorkshire, in 1834, and is the second son of Mr. Joseph Jackson, of Derbyshire. He was educated at various schools in England, and afterwards entered the great firm of Messrs Guest and Chirmes, brass-founders, etc., of Rotherham, in whose employment he remained for twenty-four years, until leaving England for Auckland in 1885, when he commenced business at Onehunga.

The Kauri Timber Company, Onehunga, is a branch of the Auckland Kauri Timber Company. The branch manager is Mr. John Neill; the contractor for cutting and dressing, Mr. George Vause. About seventy hands are employed at the mill, twenty-eight by Mr. Vause, and over forty by the Kauri Timber Co. The output is about 70,000 feet of sawn timber and 35,000 to 40,000 feet of dressed timber weekly. Most of the kauri logs come from the Kaipara, and the company goes a large export business to the Raglan and Taranaki districts. Mr. George Vause is referred to elsewhere as an ex-councillor of the Onehunga Borough Council.

Mr. John Neill, the popular Manager of the Onehunga Branch of the Kauri Timber Company, was born at Greenoch, Scotland, and learned the timber business under his father. When he came to New Zealand Mr. Neill found the condition of the timber trade and the kinds of timber handled, entirely different from those he had been accustomed to in the Old Country, and in order to master the whole business afresh in the colony, he started again at the bottom of the ladder, and has, since joining the Kauri Timber Company, in 1899, worked his way up to his present position. Mr. Neill is well known in Onehunga and districts, and takes an interest in all matters bearing on the welfare and advancement of the community.

Captain John Robertson, Old Colonist, was born at Dundee, Scotland, in 1859. After receiving his education he was apprenticed to the Thompson Company line of sailing ships, and on completing his apprenticeship he obtained a second mate's certificate. When nineteen years old he was appointed second mate of the “Downie Count,” trading to America. He went to Canada and sailed as an officer on board several of the lake vessels there. Captain Robertson sailed to Australia as second mate of the “Assayer,” which was lost at the Chatham Islands in 1883. Shortly afterwards he came to Auckland and received an engagement with the Northern Steamship Company, first as officer, and subsequently as master. During the time he was in the Company's steamship “Iona,” that vessel broke her shaft, while at the Chesterfield Group, and he volunteered to set out in an open boat to Noumea, in New Caledonia—a distance of 600 miles—for assistance; and, after a perilous voyage of twelve days, he successfully accomplished his task, and brought a French man-of-war to the relief of the disabled vessel. In 1894 he was appointed harbour master at Manukau, and held the position for a number of years. He left Wellington in February, 1898, for Vancouver, bound for the Klondyke, and after many adventures there and elsewhere, returned to New Zealand in July, 1901. Captain Robertson has always taken a great interest in yachting, and he is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Manukau. He resides in Selwyn Street, Onehunga, is married, and has a family of three.

Mr. Archibald Smith, an old Auckland Colonist, residing at Te Papapa, Onehunga, was born in the parish of Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland, in 1839, and is the eldest son of Mr. Turnbull Smith, farm bailiff. Mr. Smith was educated at the South Dean School, Roxburgh, and afterwards was employed in farming until leaving his native land in 1859, per troopship “Sir George Pollock,” which brought out a detachment of the 65th Regiment to New Zealand. Mr. Smith landed in Auckland in September, 1859, and was engaged by the well-known firm of Messrs Henderson and Macfarlane, to work at their bush and mills, at Henderson. He remained with that firm until engaged by Mr. David, sawmill owner, of Titirangi. In 1860, he proceeded to Cabbage Bay to assist in erecting a mill and to open up the bush. He went to Mercury Bay in 1861 under engagement to Messrs Schappe and Ansenne, millowners, and remained in that district for twenty-four years as employee and afterwards bush contractor. The mills were taken over by the Kauri Timber Company in 1888, and Mr. Smith was appointed bush and mill manager to the company. He retained that position until 1891, when he purchased his present property at Te Papapa, near Onehunga, and has ever since lived in retirement. Mr. Smith was closely identified with mining ventures, and assisted Kawhera, a native prospector, to develop the celebrated Try Fluke claim at Kuaotunu; subsequently he became director of the company at its formation in 1890, and retained office until the mine was sold to an English company. He also held large interests in the Kapai—now the Kapai-Vermont mine, in the Great Mercury, and is a large shareholder in the Waita Mine, Kuaotunu. Mr. Smith was a member of the Coromandel County Council for a number of years.

Mr. A. Smith.

Mr. A. Smith.