The Oamaru Custom House is situated in Thames Street, a portion of the old post office building being occupied for the purpose of the department. Mr. T. M. Cullen is the Collector of Customs for the district, and the bond, which is situated in Tyne Street, is the property of Mr. William Bee.

Mr. Thomas Michael Cullen , Collector of Customs and Sub-paymaster of Imperial Pensions, Oamaru, was born in Auckland in 1862, and was educated at the Auckland College and Grammar School. In December, 1878, he entered the Government service in the Postal Department at Auckland, and was transferred to the Customs Department in January, 1880. He was afterwards transferred successively to Napier, Wellington, Dunedin, and Hokitika. In 1890 he was transferred from Hokitika to Oamaru, in succession to Mr. Ridings. In athletic sports, social affairs, and in musical circles, Mr. Cullen takes an active interest. His geniality and freedom from affectation have made him a very popular Government servant, and won him numerous friends in the various districts where he has been stationed.

Mr. T. M. Cullen.

Mr. James Percy Ridings , Landing Surveyor for H.M. Customs, Dunedin, and formerly Collector of Customs for the Port of Oamaru and at Hokitika, was born at Nelson in 1860, and educated at the Auckland College and Grammar School. He joined Her Majesty's Customs in Auckland in 1876 as a cadet, two years later he was transferred to Wellington as clerk, and in 1882 he returned to Auckland. After four years he became landing waiter at Wellington, and was transferred in 1888 to Dunedin, where he occupied a similar position. In 1895, he was appointed to Oamaru, and in November, 1899, he succeeded the late Mr. Edward Chilman as Collector of Customs at Hokitika, whence he was afterwards transferred to his present position. Mr. Ridings was married, in 1891, to a daughter of Mr. A. W. Morris, manager of the Otago and Southland Investment Company, Dunedin.

Mr. J. P. Ridings.

Mr. Robert Thompson , who was an officer of H. M. Customs in New Zealand for thirty-four years, was born near Belfast, Ireland, in 1832. He landed in Auckland in 1859, and joined the staff of the Customhouse as a ganger in Dunedin about the end of the following year. Mr. Thompson afterwards held office as warehouse-keeper in Dunedin, and was transferred in 1864 to Oamaru, where he became landing waiter. Nine years later he became collector, and in 1878 he was appointed receiver of land revenue and collector of customs at New Plymouth. Ten years subsequently he returned to Oamaru as collector of customs, and retired on a pension in 1896. During his residence in Taranaki he served as a volunteer at the time of the Parihaka trouble.

Mr. R. Thompson.