Mr. Andrew Duncan, who was Mayor of Christchurch for the year 1870, was born in the west of Scotland, in 1834, and came to Canterbury with his parents about the year 1858. He worked for some time at his occupation as nurseryman, and afterwards established his nursery gardens down the Ferry Road. He also started in business as seedsman, his first shop being in Gloucester Street on the site of the premises afterwards occupied by the Gas Company. By strict attention to his affairs, combined with considerable commerical aptitude, he was enabled to extend the operations of his business in various directions, and in due course removed to the shop in Cashel Street, which he possessed at the time of his death, on the 10th of December, 1880. During his later years Mr. Duncan took a prominent part in public affairs. He was a member of the City Council, and also mayor of Christchurch. Mr. Duncan also represented Heathcote in the Provincial Council for a considerable period, and was a member of the Provincial Executive. He contested one of the seats for Christchurch in the General Assembly, against Mr. E. J. Wakefield, but was not elected. Mr. Duncan was strongly urged to come forward again as one of the candidates for the city, but could not be prevailed upon to do so. He visited the Old Country as an Emigration Agent for the Provincial Government, and acted in that capacity for about a year, during which he induced a considerable number of suitable emigrants to leave for Canterbury. After his return he was appointed a member of the Board of Education, and was made a Commissioner of School Reserves. He was an active member of the Drainage Board from its formation, and was also on the Waste Lands Board, and the South Waimakariri Board of Conservation. Mr. Duncan took a keen interest in the agricultural interests of the colony, and was for a long period a member of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, of which he was president at the time of his death. Mr. Duncan was for many years a member of the Christchurch Horticultural Society, in the affairs of which he always took great interest. He was for some years a member of the North Canterbury Board of Education, and held the position of chairman at one time. During his term of office he opened a number of the country district state schools. Mr Duncan was an officebearer of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church on several occasions, and at the time of his death was a member of the Financial Committee of the congregation. About two months before his death Mr. Duncan visited Australia for the benefit of his health, which, however, was not improved by the trip, and he died three weeks after returning to his home in Christchurch, at the comparatively early age of forty-six.