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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Hutchison, George Tudhope

Hutchison, George Tudhope , Farmer, “Rocklands,” Tokarahi. Mr. Hutchison was born in Lanarkshire. Scotland, in 1839. He was brought up to country life, and served for some time as a gardener. In 1861 he came to Port Chalmers, by the ship “Young American,” which brought out the first lot of Leicester sheep for the mon. Mathew Holmes and the New Zealand Land Company. Mr. Hutchison was a lumper at Port Chalmers for a time, was employed for a few months at Saddle Hill, and afterwards had five years' experience on the Nokomai, Nevis, Arrow, Twelve Mile, Shotover, and Molyneux diggings. Subsequently he spent eighteen months on the West Coast, and after a trip to Wellington and Nelson returned to Saddle Hill, where he took contracts for felling bush, making roads, and afterwards purchased a team and commenced carting. For some time he conveyed flour from the Kakanui flour mill and other places, and delivered it to surf boats on the beach. Mr. Hutchison started farming at Happy Valley, near Kakanui, and was afterwards for seven years cropping at Kauroo, near Maheno. In 1876 he removed to Tokarahi, and commenced contract ploughing under Mr. McMaster. He was the first to turn a furrow on the “Tables,” before either roads or fences were constructed. For about eighteen years before the Government acquired the Tokarahi estate, Mr. Hutchison leased 800 acres from the proprietors, and when the property was cut up, he acquired 536 acres, on which his original homestead had been erected in 1876. He has served on the Island Cliff school committee, and has long been a member of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Mr. Hutchison was married, in April, 1870, to a daughter of Mr. William Brash, who came to Otago in 1858 by the ship “Three Bells,” and now (1904) resides at Ngapara. Mr. Hutchison has two sons.