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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Old Colonists

Old Colonists.

Mr. John Holmes, sometime of Bangor estate, was born in County Longford, Ireland, in 1828. He was educated and trained as a civil engineer and surveyor, and as a young man went to Canada, where he spent many years as a surveyor in the Government service, and was afterwards a member of the Canadian Parliament. In 1878 he came to Canterbury to take charge of “Bangor,” and died in 1879.

The late Mr. J. Holmes.

The late Mr. J. Holmes.

Mr. John Whall, who for many years was identified with the blacksmithing trade page 745 in Darfield, is a native of Sussex, England, and was born in the village of Lindfield in 1845. He was educated at a public school, and at the age of fourteen joined the navy. After about ten or twelve years of naval service he obtained his discharge, and subsequently spent a few years trading along the coast of Queensland. Early in the seventies he visited New Zealand, where he decided to settle, after making several trips between the colony and Australia. He took up the blacksmithing trade, of which he had obtained a thorough knowledge whilst in the navy, and gained his first colonial experience as a tradesman at Doyleston. Subsequently he held the position of foreman blacksmith at Longbeach, Ashburton, where he remained for five or six years. He afterwards worked at his trade for a short time at Amberley and in 1884 he established a business on his own account at Darfield. This he conducted till 1901, when, having leased the business to his son, he sailed for England. On his way back he landed in Australia, where he is now (1903) engaged at his trade, near Sydney, New South Wales. Mr. Whall has a family of three sons and two daughters.

Mr. and Mrs J. Whall.

Mr. and Mrs J. Whall.