National Mortgage And Agency Company Of New Zealand, Limited . Oamaru Branch, Mr. W. H. Rose, Manager. Telephone 54, P.O. Box, 3. Bankers, the National Bank of New Zealand, Limited. The Oamaru branch of the company was opened by the present manager in November, 1889; the business being that of stock and station agents, auctioneers, general merchants, shipping, insurance and commission agents. The company's premises, situated at the corner of Tyne and Itchen Streets, consist of a very handsome two storey building of Oamaru stone, with convenient offices on the ground floor; and the warehouse has a storage capacity for about 25,000 sacks of grain. The company is agent for the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's fleet of steamers and sailing ships, which load at the port of Oamaru, as inducement offers; and it also represents locally the National Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand. Auction sales of stock are conducted by the company weekly at the Junction saleyards, and at country centres from time to time.

New Zealand Loan And Mercantile Agency Company . Oamaru branch (Edward Pargiter Burbury, manager), corner of Harbour and Wansbeck Streets. Telephone 23. P.O. Box 478. Bankers, Union Bank of Australia. The Oamaru branch of this large company was established about 1873 in a small concrete building, which has since been replaced by the handsome three-storey Oamaru stone structure now occupied by the business. The building, which stands on Harbour Board leasehold land, in capable of storing 100,000 sacks of grain. It is situated not far from the railway station, with which it is connected by railway sidings. The front portion of the building, facing Wansbeck Street on the ground floor, is used for the public office and the private offices of the manager and accountant and stock salesman. The various floors are connected by four grain lifts, each of which is worked by a fire horse-power water motor. The first floor of the building is supported on Port Chalmers bluestone piers, which contribute greatly to the strength of the superstructure. Shoots are provided between each floor for the rapid delivery of sacks of grain, and the working plant includes an American grain separator and grain crushing machines.

Mr. Edward Pargiter Burbury , J.P., Manager of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company in Oamaru, is an Englishman by birth, and arrived in Dunedin, by the ship “Zealandia,” in 1873. He joined the service of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company in 1877, and took up his duties as manager of the Oamaru branch in 1878. He was for a number of years a member of the Oamarn Harbour Board, and has been connected with the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association, as a member of the committee, for a considerable time. Mr. Burbury is also a trustee of the Oamaru Racecourse, and also honorary judge for the North Otago Racing Club. He resides at Fairfield, six miles from Oamaru. He was married, in 1881, to a daughter of Dr. Wait, of Oamaru, and has one son and two daughters.

Mr. E. P. Burbury.

The North Otago Farmers' Co-Operative Association, Limited . Oamaru. Directors 1903–4: Messrs A. W. Gillies (chairman), J. B. Taylor (vice-chairman), J. Cowie Nichols. Donald Simpson. John Johnston, Andrew Gray, W. E. De C. Hughes and James Smillie, Auditors, Messrs A. A. McKinnon and C. W. Cooke. Solicitors. Messrs Lee and Crave. Secretary and Manager, Mr. J. Maitland James, F.N.Z.A.A. Offices, Thames Street, Oamaru. Stores, Tyne and Harbour Streets. This company dates from September, 1301, when twelve directors were appointed to inaugurate the business, which was duly accomplished on the 1st of November following. The large two storey stone building extending from Tyne Street to Harbour Street was the first home of the Association, which has a railway siding running to the Harbour Street entrance. However, this building is now used as a store for bulk goods and for grain storage. In August, 1903, the Association, finding the business extending so rapidly as to require new premises, secured the Theatre Royal and other buildings in the rear. The main building has a frontage of 120 feet by 66 feet, and is situated at the corner of Thames Street and Ccquet Street, in the principal thoroughfare, and at the junction of the main roads running north and south. It is very close to the railway station, in a most central position. The alterations to the building were completed by April, 1904, and embrace the offices and sample rooms for the general business, grain and auction, and stock business; the grocery, ironmongery, drapery, clothing, boots, and other branches of the business have separate departments in the lower and upper floors. The number of shareholders has rapidly increased, and in June, 1904, there were about 760. Yet the business has been established only about three years. The first balance showed a net profit of £176, and the second year it increased to £1183. The Association is (1904) building a horse sale bazaar on its fine sections close to the main building.

Mr. Arthur William Gillies , who has been Chairman of the North Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association since its inception, is a son of the late Mr. R. Gillies, of the firm of Gillies and Street, and proprietors of the Awamoko estate. He was born in 1872, and was educated at the Otago Boys' High School, Dunedin. After a short experience in mercantile life, he settled at Birtley, Georgetown, in 1892. This property, which consists of 1000 acres of freehold, originally formed part of the Awamoko estate. As a volunteer Mr. Gillies has served since 1893 in the North Otago Mounted Rifles, of which be has been captain since 1900. He was married, in 1893, to a daughter of Mr. John Reid, of Elderslie.

Mahan and Muir, photo.
Mr. A. W. Gillies.

Mr. Thomas Mcquin , Grain Salesman to the North Otago Co-operative Association, was born in the Taieri, in 1868. After attending school in his native place he gained a general knowledge of country life and of stock on the Greenfield estate, where he continued for eight years. On removing to Dunedin, Mr. McQuin joined Messrs Donald Reid and Co., with whom he served as clerk for eight years, and for two years subsequently was with Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co. During this period he became well acquainted with the grain, seed, and wool business. He was grain and stock salesman to the Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association. Dunedin, for a period of three years, and was selected, on the formation of the North Otago Co-operative Association, for his present position. As a volunteer Mr. McQuin served for two years in the Otago Hussars. He was married, on the 24th of slay, 1895, to a daughter of Mr. William Farnie, of Dunedin, and has two daughters and one son.

Mr. David Patterson , General Manager of the Oamaru Woollen Factory, was born and education in Forfarshire, Scotland, and was for several years in business as a woollen manufacturer in Peebles. In 1883 he left Scotland to come to New Zealand, and after a short stay in Dunedin, was appointed manager of the then recently started woollen factory in Oamaru.

Interior Oamaru Woollen Factory.