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

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Mr. Albert Cassels , J.P., was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on the 5th day of May, 1841, and his father was Mr. Robert Cassels, hat manufacturer, of that city. At the early age of thirteen years. Mr. Cassels accompanied the family to Melbourne, and after arriving In that city on the 13th of September, 1854, obtained a situation in a gold broker's office. He soon afterwards went to Gisborne, an up country township forty miles from Mei bourne, where he found employment, and, subsequently, at Castlemaine, as a stockkeeper. In 1856, Mr. Cassels crossed over to New Zealand in the ship “Gil Blas,” under engagement to Mr. William Cameron, of Centre Island, near Riverton. He was sent with a mob of sheep from Fortification station, Hindon, Upper Taieri (afterwards owned by Messrs Boyd Bros.), to Waicola station, beyond Otautau. Accompanied by the late Mr. N. Bates, he then proceeded to the Glenquoich station, beyond Dome Pass, where they erected the first hut on the property; after negotiating the Pass with a dray, a very difficult and hazardous undertaking. In the following year, together with his brother, the late Mr. Henry Cassels, he revisited the country adjacent to the Nevis Range, where they erected a hut for the late Mr. Trotter. Some years afterwards, when the gold “rush” to the Nokomal took place, Mr. Cassels commenced to carry merchandise and stores to the field from Riverton, freight being charged at the rate of £55 per ton. When the “rush” extended to Lake Wakatipu. he entered into partnership with Messrs. Daniels and Barrett, of the Nokomai, storekeepers. At one time they took a dray load of provisions, etc., to Kingston, which they sold out in less than an hour, receiving as much as £2 10s. for a fifty pound bag of flour. Mr. Cassels' next enterprise was the purchase of a whaleboat, which he placed upon Lake Wakatipu for the conveyance of the mails from Kingston to Queenstown, under a twelve months' contract. On the expiration of that period, he dissolved partnership with Messrs. Daniels and Barrett, but continued the carrying business to Kingston for a further length of time, after which he took up a section at Steven's Bush, Jacob's River district, and brought it under cultivation. Mr. Cassels was one of a party which unsuccessfully prospected Lake Te Anau. and afterwards engaged in a similar expedition on the Longwood Ranges, near Riverton. He participated in more than one dangerous undertaking. With ten mates he once embarked in an open boat with the Intention of reaching George's River, West Coast, better known as the “Seal Rocks.” The party were blown out to sea off Windsor Point, and were compelled to throw half their provisions overboard to avoid being swamped; and at last they reached Colac Bay after a most risky passage. After spending some time on the West Coast, Mr. Cassels returned to Riverton, and became a partner with the late Mr. Peter Grant in a small run known as “Grant's Mistake,” which was ultimately abandoned. On arriving at Orepuki, about 1869, Mr. Cassels worked on the Te Wae Wae Beach, and did some prospecting on the Longwood Ranges, in the neighbourhood of what is now known as Round Hill, and experienced great hardships. Three years later he started a butchery business at Orepuki, but this he subsequently sold to Mr. A. McPherson, of Pahia, and, returning to Riverton, worked for the late Mr. Richard Lock until the latter's death. Mr. Cassels then opened a store in Orepuki, where he was placed on the Commission of the Peace in 1884.