Title: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts]

Author: Cyclopedia Company Limited

Publication details: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1908, Christchurch

Part of: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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Mr. Tom Waterworth, sometime Overseer of Roads, Sanitary Inspector, Fire Inspector, etc., for the Borough of Napier, was born in Sherburn, Yorkshire, England, in the year 1834, and was the son of the late Mr. John Waterworth. After learning the trade of a monumental mason he came to New Zealand in 1859, by the ship “Robert Small.” Mr. Waterworth landed at Lyttelton, where he stayed, for two years, and then went to New South Wales, and visited the diggings at Lambing Flat. He came back to New Zealand in the following year, and remained in Lyttelton until 1864, when he went to the West Coast goldfields, but soon returned to Lyttelton, where he was employed as foreman of works for Mr. E. G. Wright, sometime a member of the House of Representatives for Ashburton. In 1868 Mr. Waterworth went to the Thames, and for about six years was mine manager, and afterwards was foreman for Mr. John Taylor, contractor. He removed to Hawke's Bay in 1874, and became manager for the harbour contractor, and carried out the first works at the Spit. Mr. Waterworth then started in business in Napier as a monumental mason. About ten years later he left the business to his son, and took over the Provincial Hotel. He, however, soon tired of hotel life, and in 1892 was appointed Overseer of Roads, etc., for the Napier Borough Council. Mr. Waterworth took a keen interest in the work of his department. He invented a patent sewer-trap, which possesses special sanitary advantages, and the Waterworth Patent Asphalt is well known. Mr. Waterworth was president of the Fire Brigade Association, trustee of the Fire Brigade Accident Insurance Society, was a member of the committee of the Napier Bowling Club, member of the Masonic Lodge Victoria, and president of the Working Men's Club. He married, in 1858, a daughter of the late Mr. Jonas Batey, of Offerton, near Sunderland, England, and had four daughters and two sons. Mr. Waterworth died on the 8th of November, 1905.