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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

South Dunedin

South Dunedin.

South Dunedin is a populous borough about a mile and a half to the southeast of Dunedin city, on what is known as the Flat. Its population has increased since 1891 almost 50 per cent., and when the electric tram system is in operation, it will, no doubt, become even more profitable as a residential borough. A proposition is now (1904) before the ratepayers to widen the Hillside road from its present width of 40 feet to 66 feet, so as to enable a double service of tram lines being laid, to facilitate rapid transit to and from the borough. The Forbury public school, St. Patrick Catholic school, and a convent and orphanage are situated in the borough, which contains, also, the Dunedin City Corporation gasworks, a rope and twine factory, a fruit preserving factory, a box factory, and furniture workshops. There are Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Baptist, and Roman Catholic churches, and Salvation Army barracks; and members of the Church of Christ hold services in the Town Hall. The Borough Council has an endowment of 155 acres on the harbour front, which is leased, in small sections, to ratepayers who desire to build in that quarter. The Town Hall was build in 1902, at a cost of £2,118, and contains a spacious council-room, offices, and strong room. The hall is much used for lectures, dances, and other forms of entertainment, and is centrally situated on the Hillside road, the main business thoroughfare of the borough. There are four licensed hotels in the district, also a volunteer Fire Brigade and station, maintained at a cost of about £60 a year. The streets are well formed, and lighted with twenty-five gas lamps, and the footpaths are asphalted and kept in good order. South Dunedin is bounded on the north by the Cargill road; on the south by Prince Edward, Bay View, and Kennedy roads; on the west by the Forbury road; and on the east by the Anderson's Bay road.

The first meeting of the South Dunedin Borough Council was held on the 13th of January, 1876, with Mr. Nicholas Maloney in the mayoral chair, in which he has had, as successors, Messrs G. Hodges, G. McBride, J. Osmond, William Wardrop, M. Sullivan, H. M. Henderson, E. Osborne, C. Fisher, Thomas Fiddis, Andrew Todd, John Chetwin, and J. B. Shacklock. South Dunedin has an area of 413 acres; estimated population, 6,049; dwellings, 1,305; ratepayers, 972; rateable properties, 1,218; annual rateable value, £25,539; general rate, 1s in the £; special rate, 6d in the £; sanitary rate, 6d in the £; water rate, 6 per cent.; drainage and sewerage rate, 2d in the £. The assets at the 31st of March, 1903, amounted to £4,400 15s 6d; liabilities, £457 7s 1d. Mr. J. B. Shacklock is the present Mayor, and the councillors are Messrs T. Fiddis, A. Knowles, A. Todd, A. Carpenter, A. McIndoe, William Cuttle, H. Henderson, R. C. Proctor, J. E. Offen, James Fleming, J. Dodds, and William Wardrop. Town Clerk, Mr. Donald McKenzie.

His Worship The Mayor Of South Dunedin , Mr. John Bradley Shacklock, was installed on the 3rd of May, 1904. He formally served as a councillor in the same borough for six years. Mr. Shacklock is chairman of the Macandrew Road school committee, and a prominent member of the Hand and Heart Lodge, Manchester Unitey Independent Order of Oddfellows.

Councillor Thomas Fiddis has been a member of the South Dunedin Borough Council since 1883, and is a member of the Finance Committee. At each election he has been opposed, but has always been returned, sometimes by a large majority of votes. He was mayor of the borough in 1899–1900, and at the end of his term of office, was presented by the ratepayers with an illuminated address and a cheque for £50. Before he was connected with the South Dunedin Council, Mr. Fiddis was for four years a member of the Maori Hill Borough Council, and also a member of the Charitable Aid Board. At present (1904) he is on the Licensing Bench, and a member of the Protestant Alliance Friendly Society of Australasia; also a member of the No. 12 Loyal Orange Lodge William Johnson, with which he has been connected since 1868. Mr. Fiddis was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, but spent most of his early years in Glasgow, where he served an apprenticeship to the painting trade with Messrs Hugh Bogle and Co., painters and glass-stainers to Queen Victoria. After gaining considerable experience in his business, he sailed for New Zealand in 1874, and on his arrival in Dunedin was engaged by Messrs Scott and Smith, with whom he remained for seven months. He was also with Messrs Fish and Sons for a similar period, and in 1876 started business on his own account in Oxford Street, South Dunedin, where he stocks all painters' requisites, and the latest artistic paperhangings. Mr. Fiddis was married, in 1870, and has surviving, a family of four daughters and one son.

Councillor T. Fiddis.

Councillor T. Fiddis.

Councillor Andrew C. Knowles was elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in April, 1903, and is a member of the Water, Gas and Fire Committees.

Councillor Andrew Todd was elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in 1900, and is chairman of the Finance Committee. Mr. Todd was Mayor of the borough in 1901.

Councillor Arthur Carpenter , who was elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in April, 1903, is a member of the Finance Committee. He was born in Fleet, Hampshire, England, in 1862, and arrived in New Zealand in 1874. He has been connected with the Dunedin “Evening Star,” as agent, since 1876, and has a stationer's shop on the Cargill Road, where all the latest colonial and foreign magazines and newspapers, Australian publications, novels, etc., are kept in stock. Mr. Carpenter has been connected with Friendly Societies since 1883, and for thirteen years was secretary of the
Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo. Councillor A. Carpenter.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Councillor A. Carpenter.

page 407 Protestant Alliance Friendly Society, and also held office as treasurer for a considerable time. He represented his Lodge at the Grand Council meeting held in Auckland in 1896, at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition of 1889–90, and in commemoration of this last service he was presented with a suitably inscribed silver medal. Mr. Carpenter was one of the first delegates appointed to the Dunedin United Friendly Societies' Dispensary Board, on which he sat for several years. He was for about three years secretary of the “Evening Star” Runners' Society, and its chairman in 1903–4. Mr. Carpenter was married in Victoria, in 1893, to a daughter of an old and highly respected colonist, and has one daughter.

Councillor Archibald T. Mcindoe was elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in April, 1903, and is a member of the Finance Committee.

Councillor William Cuttle , who was elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in 1903, is chairman of the Works Committee.

Councillor Henry M. Henderson , J.P., was first elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in 1882, and served continuously as such until 1892, when he was elected mayor of the borough. In April, 1903, he was again returned as a councillor, and is a member of the Works Committee. Mr. Henderson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1846, and spent several years in the building trade in London and Scotland, before coming to New Zealand by the ship “Jessie Readman” in 1874. Soon after his arrival he became associated in business with Mr. James Gore, builder, and remained with him for twelve years. Since 1886 he has been in business on his own account, and has constructed many important buildings in and around Dunedin. Mr. Henderson has taken a keen interest in the welfare of his borough, and has always been ready to give his time and attention to the management of local affairs. He has been a member and chairman of the Macandrew road school committee, and served on the old Caversham Licensing Committee for three years. Mr. Henderson was married in London, in 1872, and has one daughter.

Councillor R. C. Proctor was elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in 1903, and is a member of the Water Committee.

Councillor James Edward Offen was elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in April, 1903, and is a member of the Water and Gas Committes. He is also a member of the Forbury school committee. Mr. Offen was born in Hastings, Sussex, England, in 1865, and came out to New Zealand, with his parents, by the ship “Warrior Queen,” in 1870. He was educated at the Forbury school, South Dunedin, and afterwards spent some time with the firm of Messrs Ferry and Washer, where he learned the plastering trade. While in Greymouth, in 1887, Mr. Offen took the prize as the champion step-dancer of the West Coast, whence he proceeded to Melbourne, where he remained for over four years, gaining considerable experience in the higher branches of his trade. During his residence in Melbourne, he became a member of the Loyal Dalton Lodge, Independent Order of Oddfellows, of Richmond. On his return to Dunedin, in 1892, Mr. Offen started contracting, and since then he has worked on many large buildings and fine residences, keeping a number of men employed, and doing first class work. He has been connected with volunteering since 1884, and is at present (1904) a member of the Dunedin Rifle Club. Mr. Offen was married, in 1889, to a daughter of Mr. George Adams, an old colonist, and has three sons and one daughter

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo. Councillor J. E. Offen.

Wrigglesworth and Binns, photo.
Councillor J. E. Offen.

Councillor James Fleming , who was elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in 1900, is Chairman of the Fire and Water Committee.

Councillor J. Dodds was elected to the South Dunedin Borough Council in 1903, and is a member of the Works Committee. Mr. Dodds is also chairman of the Macandrew road school committee.

Councillor William Wardrop , J.P., Member of the South Dunedin Borough Council, is fully referred to at page 253, in the Medical Section of this volume.

Mr. Donald Mckenzie , Clerk to the South Dunedin Borough Council, was appointed to his present position in August, 1903. Mr. McKenzie was born in Victoria, in 1874, and arrived in New Zealand with his parents in 1880. He was educated in Southland, where he studied for the teaching profession, and later on was appointed master of a school in Southland, where he remained for three and a half years, subsequently resigning to take charge of a school in Hawke's Bay. After two years spent in the North Island, Mr. McKenzie returned to Dunedin to accept a position on the staff of the Port Chalmers District High School, with which he was connected until 1908, when he accepted his present appointment. While in Southland he was keenly interested in athletics, and as a cyclist won several trophies, cups, and medals, and he is also a member of the Manchester Unity, Independent Order of Oddfellows. Mr. McKenzie has patented an arrangement to enable school children to hold their pens correctly; the contrivance is being manufactured by an English firm, who think very highly of it, and samples will, very shortly, be on the colonial market. Mr. McKenzie was married, in 1897, to a daughter of Mr. Robert Crawford, Port Molyneux, and has two daughters.

Mr. D. McKenzie.

Mr. D. McKenzie.

Hodges, Gabriel , Builder, Main Street, South Dunedin. Private residence: Grove Street, St. Kilda. Mr. Hodges was born in 1850, in Somersetshire, England, and arrived at Lyttelton by the ship “Ramsay” in 1870. After two years in Christchurch he came to Dunedin, and started what has since become one of the leading building and contracting businesses in the city. In 1882 he retired from building and farmed at Waitaki for six years. On his return to Dunedin Mr. Hodges resumed the building trade, and since then has erected some large and important buildings, such as the handsome residence of Dr. Closs in George Street, a ward for infectious diseases and a nurses' home in connection with the Dunedin Hospital, Mr. J. B. Thomson's seventeen-roomed residence in Queen Street, the National Bank at Mosgiel, the Wingatui grand stand and adjoining buildings, the Dunedin Amateur Boating Club house, and the Ravensbourne school. Mr. Hodges has always taken a prominent page 408 part in public affairs, and for several years was a member of the South Dunedin Borough Council. He was mayor of the borough for the years 1878 and 1879, and on his retirement from office was presented with a silver cradle by his fellow councillors and supporters. During his residence at Waitaki he was member for the Otekaike riding of the Waitaki County Council. He was Mayor of St. Kilda for the years 1902 and 1903, and is at present (1904) a member of the St. Kilda Borough Council. Mr. Hodges is also chairman of the Forbury school committee, a member and steward of the Forbury Park Racing Club, and Tahuna Park Trotting Club, a member of the Dunedin Jockey Club, Caledonian Society, and Bowling Club, and a member of the Dunedin Builders' Association. Mr. Hodges has been married twice, and there is a surviving family of seven.