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

Author: Cyclopedia Company Limited

Publication details: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1905, Christchurch

Part of: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

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

Share:

Mr. James Kay was born in 1835 in Glasgow, Scotland, where he received his education, and learned the trade of a stone mason. After working for a time as a journeyman in Manchester and in London, he left the Old Country in November, 1854, and arrived in West Australia at the beginning of the following year. After a year spent on a station, he caught the gold fever, and went to Victoria. On the outbreak of the Gabriel's Gully rush in Otago, Mr. Kay went there, and worked for a time at Weatherstones. He afterwards left for the Ccromandel rush in the Auckland district, but on arriving in Auckland he decided to stop there and work at his trade. On the outbreak of the Dunstan rush, he went there but after a short time on the field returned to Dunedin, and worked for a time at his trade. In 1865 he settled in Oamaru, where he found employment as a stone mason, but was also engaged for a short time on the West Coast as a digger. As an Oddfellow Mr. Kay has been a member for thirty-six years, and has passed all the chairs, and was a trustee of the Loyal Oamaru Lodge for a number of years. He served seven years as a volunteer in No. 1 Company, Oamaru Rifles, and received a land grant for his services. Mr. Kay was married at Oamaru, in January, 1869, to a daughter of the late Mr. James Barclay, of Gourock, Scotland, and has one son and four daughters.