Mr. Augustus Boys was born in 1835 at New Cross, London, England, and after leaving school worked in the Ayr and Calder Bottle Company's Works in Thames Street. In 1853, he went to South Australia; visited the Coromandel rush in New South Wales; and after some time spent in Victoria, came to New Zealand in 1861. Mr. Boys then went to Waitahuna, and at the time of the Hartley and Riley rush he removed to the Dunstan. He was subsequently employed in the Macetown district, where he was connected with Maguire's water race. Since 1865. Mr. Boys has been a resident of the West Coast, and for many years was in business as a storekeeper and hotelkeeper at Blue Spur. He is proprietor of the Auckland Minerals Company, and a partner in the firm of J. Chesney and Company. In the early days Mr. Boys served on one of the local road boards. He has been twice married, and has, surviving, one daughter.

Mr. John Robert Hudson was born in October, 1840, in Yorkshire, England. He went to sea as a youth, and took part in the Crimean war. In 1857 he landed in Victoria, Australia, where he followed the goldfields until attracted to New Zealand by the Gabriel's Gully rush in 1861. Mr. Hudson was one of the first on the field. and afterwards visited the Waipori and Wakamarina diggings. In July, 1864, he crossed the Hurunui Saddle from Canterbury with horses, the first taken to the West Coast by that route. Mr. Hudson afterwards opened a store at Blakiston, the first township at Greymouth, and, subsequently, in conjunction with Mr. Pace, opened stores at Hokitika and Totara, and also bought gold for the Benk of New South Wales for some time before the bank opened in Westland. Later, Mr. Hudson established one of the first hotels, the “Albion,” on the West Coast, the site of which he afterwards sold to the Borough Council. He also owned and managed the Cleveland Hotel. For some years Mr. Hudson carried on business as a contractor for the formation of roads and the construction of bridges. He was subsequently appointed Inspector of Roads and Works under the Public Works Department. Mr. Hudson served as a member and as treasurer of the Hokitika Harbour Board for nearly twenty years; was a member of the Hokitika school committee for twenty-two years, of which he was for a long time chairman; was for twenty years a member of the Education Board, and for many years a member of the Hokitika Benevolent Society. He was also one of the first members of the local fire brigade, and served for a number of years as lieutenant. As a volunteer, Mr. Hudson was a member of the Westland Light Horse, and afterwards of the First Westland Rifles. He is a Freemason and a Past District Grand Master. Mr. Hudson married a daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Higgins, of Galway, Ireland, in the year 1866, and has, surviving, three sons and three daughter.

Mr. William Perry , who for many years was one of the most prominent business men in Hokitika, was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, in 1831. He came out to Melbourne when the gold “rush” was at it height, and managed various businesses on the Victorian diggings with decided success. About 1863, when the Otago “rush” set in, Mr. Perry crossed over to New Zealand, and was stationed for about two years at Queenstown, where he managed an extensive business. When the West Coast diggings broke out, Mr. Perry moved to Hokitika, and about 1872 he established his business in Revell Street. The death of Mr. Perry, on the 6th of June, 1898, caused widespread regret throughout the district, with which he had been so long, successfully, and honourably associated.