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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

The Hon. Charles Louisson

The Hon. Charles Louisson was born in 1842, in London, and educated at Gravesend. At the age of fourteen he arrived in Melbourne, and had experience of station life in the country such as stock-riding and horse-breaking; subsequently he went goldmining at Ballarat, and other places. He arrived in Canterbury in 1865, and shortly afterwards removed to the West Coast where he entered into business as a general merchant at Hokitika. Returning to Christchurch in 1871, he and his brother purchased the brewery, which he has since conducted as the Crown Brewery Company, Ltd. Mr. Louisson entered into local politics as a member of the Christchurch City Council, in which he served for six or seven years, and was mayor in 1888, 1889, and 1898 and 1899. During his first mayorship Mr. Louisson acted as one of the Commissioners for New Zealand at the Melbourne International Exhibition. He was afterwards a member of the Charitable Aid Board and the North Canterbury Hospital Board, and official visitor of the Deaf and Dumb Institution at Sumner, and deputyinspector of the Sunnyside Lunatio Asylum. Mr. Louisson's services as mayor were handsomely recognised on two occasions by the citizens of Christchurch, who presented him in 1889 with a fine silver epergne, and again in 1899, on his retirement from the mayoralty, with an address and a silver tea service, and on each occasion Mrs Louisson was presented with a diamond bracelet and star. With Mr A. Fergusson, of the National Bank, he is a co-trustee of the Marks Benevolent Fund, which supplied the main portion of the cost incurred in the erection of the Marks Ward at the Hospital, amounting to £10,000. As a Freemason, Mr. Louisson held office for many years as District Grand Master for Canterbury under the Scottish Constitution. While resident at Hokitika, he was associated with the Volunteers, as sergeant-major of the Westland Light Horse. He is a steward of the Metropolitan Trotting Club, and a member of the Canterbury Jockey Club. Mr. Louisson was married, in 1878, to a daughter of Mr Maurice Harris, J.P., of Christchurch, and has two sons and two daughters. He was called to the Legislative Council on the 22nd of December, 1900.

Standish and Preece, photo.Hon. C. Louisson.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Hon. C. Louisson.