Whakatane is the county township of the county of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. It is built on a serviceable small harbour, which is connected with Auckland by steamer, via Tauranga. The town is also connected by coach and train, and a twice-a-week mail service, with the Thames, 150 miles away to the south-east. It has a post, telegraph, and money order office, hotels and stores, and a population of about 150 persons. Opotiki is eighteen miles, and Auckland 208 miles away. There is a great deal of flat alluvial land in the district which is highly cultivated, and the settlers are prosperous. At the census of March, 1901, the white population for the whole county was returned as 781, but Whakatane has a larger Maori population than any other county in New Zealand; namely, between 3000 and 4000.

The Whakatane Road Board has jurisdiction over district roads in the neighbourhood of Opotiki, where it has its headquarters. The ratable property is valued at £70,000, and there are 270 ratepayers and a population of 470 in the district.

Mr. George Simpkins, Chairman of the Whakatane Road Board, is a native of Wiltshire, where he was born in 1856, and arrived in New Zealand with his parents in 1858, per ship “Egmont.” His people settled for a time at the Three Kings and afterwards at Onehunga. He was educated in Auckland, and in 1871 joined his uncle, who was one of the earliest settlers on the coast and certainly one of the first storekeepers at Whakatane. Having spent seven years with his uncle. Mr. Simpkins entered into business at Auckland and the Thames, but returned to take over his uncle's business in 1879. He retained the store for several years, but finally disposed of his interest and acquired a run of about 1300 acres, on which he grazes about 1000 sheep, besides cattle and horses. In 1883 he was elected a member of the road board, and he has now for many years been the chairman of that body. Mr. Simpkins also represented his district on the county council for some time. He was on the county council for some time. He was on the licensing committee, and generally takes an active part in any popular movement.

Hanna, photo.
Mr. G. Simpkins.

Mr. Charles Marshall Buckworth, Secretary and Treasurer of the Whakatane Road Board, government Valuer under the Advances to Settlers Act, and Land and Commission Agent at Whakatane, who by his many public offices is one of the best known men in the Bay of Plenty, is a native of Shropshire, England, where he was born in 1857. He was educated at Appleby High School, Leicestershire, and studied engineering for some time. Coming to New Zealand in 1882, he landed at Auckland, where he found employment with Messrs Buckland and Sons and with Messrs Macky, Logan and Steen for some years. Shortly after his arrival in Whakatane, fifteen years ago, he became secretary and treasurer to the Whakatane Road Board, a position he has filled with great credit. As a sportsman Mr. Buckworth is well known, and no keener shot is to be found in the district. He was married to Miss Fulloon, only daughter of the late Mr. James Fulloon, Government Native Agent, who was murdered by Maoris at Whakatane in 1865 while on board the Government cutter “Kate.”

Hanna, photo.
Mr. C. M. Buckworth.

Brown, Bernard, General Storekeeper, Whakatane. Mr. Brown's flourishing store was established by him after he had a long and varied commercial experience in several parts of the Colony. He is an extensive buyer and shipper of maize, the staple product of the district. Mr. Brown was born and educated in Invercargill, and was afterwards employed in the general drapery business of Mr. Samuel coombes, Auckland, for whom he opened branches in various towns in the North Island. After being eight years with Mr. Coombes he joined the Northern Drapery Company of Marlborough, and opened and managed branches for it at Nelson, Takaka, Motueka, Collingwood, Pieton, Havelock, Cullenville, Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Aroha and Opotiki. He was two years at the last-mentioned town, and then opened at Whakatane.

McGarvey, Daniel, General Storekeeper, Whakatane. This well-known colonist is a native of Auckland, where he was born in 1851, and received his education. He served as a compositor on the “Southern Cross” newspaper, and was afterwards in a sharebroker's office for several years. In 1872 he moved to Tauranga and was with Messrs Samuels and Jacobson for a couple of years, and was at Matata for a similar period. After a few years' further experience in Napier and Opotiki, he established himself in business at Whakatane in 1882, and has been closely indentified with, the progress of the settlement since that date. He was chairman of the first school committee in the district, and has been an active member of the Whakatane Road Board for the past sixteen years. Mr. McGarvey is secretary of the local racing association and owner of several good winners.

McAlister, John,, Settler, Whakatane. Mr. McAlister was born in Buteshire, Scotland, in 1848, and educated at Glasgow. In 1864 he sailed to India in a ship belonging to his father, who was master and part-owner. After serving three years at sea, he came to New Zealand by the “Countess of Kintore,” landed at Auckland, and spent some time farming in the Waikato. He then proceeded to page 944 the Thames and Coromandel, where he busied himself in various callings. For many years he was engaged in the coastal trade, and was mate of the s.s. “Southern Cross,” in which he owned a share. Mr. McAlister has been for the last twenty-four years in business at Whakatane, where he is also a large property-owner. He has always taken a great interest in horse-racing, and has run some well-known horses to victory. He is also a past master in the Masonic Order. Mr. McAlister is married to a daughter of the late Mr. George Simpkins, an old settler, and has three sons living.

Mr. J. McAlister.

Peebles, Alexander, Settler, “Neidpath,” Whakatane. Mr. Peebles is a recent settler at Whakatane, and is better known in the mining world than as a farmer, though in “Neidpath” he possesses a good, compact farm of 300 acres, on which he keeps 700 sheep and twenty head of cattle. The property has been occupied only for a comparatively short while, though purchased some time back. Mr. Peebles was born in Fife, Scotland, in 1856, came out to the Colony with his parents in the ship “John Bunyan,” and was educated in Hawke's Bay. He occupied a farm at Waipawa for five years. In 1880 he went to the gold mines at Te Aroha, and was afterwards a bush contractor at Mercury Bay for eight years. He then went mining again, and was the discover of the Kuaotunu goldfield, besides being the prospector and promoter of the well-known Great Mercury and Invicta mines, and manager of several important mining properties till 1896. Finally he obtained the position of manager of prospecting parties for the Kauri Freehold Gold Estates Company, and resigned only in order to take up his farm at Whakatane. As a public man, Mr. Peebles has proved himself useful and energetic. For several years he occupied a seat on the Coromandel County Council and was a member of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. He is one of the charatered members of the Auckland Chamber of Mines, holds a certificate as a duly qualified mine manager, and was made a Justice of the Peace for the Colony in 1892. Mr. Peebles is already taking an active part in public matters at Whakatane, where he is bound to come to the front.

Mr. A. Peebles.

Thom, David Meikle, Farmer, “Springhill,” Opouriao, Whakatane. Mr. Thom was born at Edinburgh in 1862, and came to the Colony when quite a boy, per ship “Ida Ziegler.” He entered the employment of Messr Schapp and Ansenne of Mercury Bay, timber merchants, and was with them for a considerable time, but left to go to the goldfields at Kuaotunu, where gold was discovered by his brother-in-law. He remained on the fields for about five years, and was one of the original promoters of the Invicta Mine. Mr. Thom acquired his present property in 1897, and he takes considerable interest in local affairs. He is married and has three sons and two daughters.

Mr. D. M. Thom.