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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]

[Waitotara County Council]

Waitotara County Council has jurisdiction over an area of country extending northwards from the confines of the Borough of Wanganui to the boundary of the Patea County Council. The county town is Wanganui. The members for 1896 were:—Messrs. J. Laird (chairman), G. S. Robertson, E. A. Campbell, S. Handley, J. Dempsey, G. Mullins, A. Tawse, and W. Ritchie. The clerk, treasurer and collector to the Council is Mr. H. E. Dymock The ratepayers number 428, owning 529 rateable properties of a value of £659,512; the rate for 1896 was 7/8d in the £. The offices of the Council are situate in Ridgway Street.

Councillor James Laird, Chairman of the Waitotara County Council, was born in 1831 in Forfarshire, Scotland. His father, Mr. Alex. Laird, had a long and extensive experience in nursery matters in Scotland. The subject of this notice came to New Plymouth in 1855, and followed the nursery business for five years. He served in the Maori war during 1860 and 1865, and was awarded the New Zealand war medal. In 1867 he removed to Wanganui, and laid the foundation of the Egmont Nursery, well-known on the West Coast of the North Island. The nursery in Glasgow Street embraces five acres, and contains species of flowering-plants, shrubs, and fruit-trees in endless variety. Mr. Laird has a farm of 115 acres at Westmere, six acres of which is planted with choice fruit-trees. In public matters in Wanganui he has ever been to the fore—as mayor of the borough from 1886 to 1888, and as a councillor occupying a seat in the Borough Council for over fifteen years. Whilst in the Borough Council he was instrumental in the purchase of Lake Westmere for the water-supply. He has been a member of the hospital committee for nearly four years, and by virtue of his office as chairman of the Waitotara County Council has a seat on the Harbour Board. He is also a director of the Wanganui Fruit Evaporating Company, and the Wanganui Loan Company. Mrs. Laird died some twenty years ago, leaving a family of nine, all of whom are settled in the country with the exception of Mr. James Laird, junr., who manages the Egmont Nursery.

Photo by A. Martin. Councillor J. Laird.

Photo by A. Martin.
Councillor J. Laird
.

Councillor Ewen Alexander Campbell, who is a member of the Waitotara County Council, is a sheepfarmer and land valuer residing at “Wiritoa,” about four miles from Wanganui. He is the second surviving son of the late Captain Campbell, of the 72nd Regiment, who came to the Colony in 1840. The subject of this sketch was born in 1843 in Wanganui. He is a self-taught man, and one of the oldest born residents. He is chairman of the Wanganui Freezing Company, and was in the chair at the meeting to inaugurate the company. For the past eleven years he has been Clerk of the Scales for the Wanganui Jockey Club, and is a member of the committee. He served five years in the Wanganui Cavalry under General Cameron during the Maori troubles. Mr. Campbell enjoyed a trip to England in 1873–74. He is married and has three children.

Photo by A. Martin. Councillor E. A. Campbell.

Photo by A. Martin.
Councillor E. A. Campbell
.

page 1376
Councillor James Dempsey, J.P., member of the Waitotara County Council, is a settler at Beaconsfield, Wanganui, and at present leases from Mrs. Abbot 130 acres, which he carries on as a dairy farm. Forty cows are milked during the season, and the butter is made up on the homestead under Mrs. Dempsey's personal supervision. This lady has taken the prize for butter at the local show for many years. A great number of young cattle are reared on the farm, which are later on removed to Mr. Dempsey's large grazing run at Tokomaru, consisting of 2254 acres, leased from the Government. About 800 acres have been cleared and sown in grass, and carry two sheep to the acre, besides
Councillor James Dempsey

Photo by A. Martin.

nearly sixty head of cattle, all the year round. Mr. Dempsey was born in 1842 in Queen's County, Ireland, and was educated at the Brothers' School, Montreagh. He was engaged in farming in Ireland till 1862, when he came to New Zealand in the ship “Constance.” At Napier he took charge of the Mission Station, and subsequently commenced farming on his own account. Prior to leasing his present property, Mr. Dempsey bought and farmed for twelve years 640 acres on the No. 2 Line, which he leased and afterwards sold to Mr. Robert Peake. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1892, is a member of the Liberal League, the Caledonian Society, and the Wanganui Agricultural and Pastoral Association.

Councillor John Hair, of the Waitotara County Council, who is a son of the late Mr. William Hair, was born in 1845 at Wanganui, where he was educated. His leasehold property, “Rosemount,” is 4400 acres in extent, and carries 8000 sheep and from 300 to 400 head of cattle, including nearly 100 cows. At one time Mr. Hair had charge of the Mission Station at Goat Valley; this position he relinquished to take up agricultural pursuits. As a member of the Waverley-Waitotara Racing Club, and the Waverley Domain Board, he has cheerfully given his assistance in public matters. Mr. Hair is married to a daughter of Mr. Thos. Higgie, and has five sons and one daughter—Mrs. George Hunter, of Stratford.

page 1377

Councillor Samuel G. Handley, who has been a member of the Waitotara County Council since 1892, is the youngest son of the late Mr. John Handley, who arrived in Wanganui in 1841. The subject of this notice was born in 1853 at “Southern Grove,” near Wanganui, and was educated at Wanganui College. Brought up to farming pursuits on his father's farm, he now works his own farm of 800 acres at Nukumaru, about twenty miles from Wanganui. Mr. Handley is married to Miss Brown, a daughter of the late Mr. John Brown, of Wanganui, and has six children. He is well known in sporting circles, and has earned a reputation as a good all-round shot.

Photo by A. Martin. Councillor S. G. Handley.

Photo by A. Martin.
Councillor S. G. Handley
.

Councillor Gregory Mullins, recently elected a member of the Waitotara County Council, the eldest son of Mr. Anthony Mullins, one of Wanganui's earliest settlers, was born in the same place in 1862. He received his education locally, and was brought up to farming pursuits on his father's farm. Mr. Mullins resides at Tokomaru, about fifteen miles from Wanganui, where, on his farm of 1000 acres, he makes a specialty of sheep and cattle-breeding. Mr. Mullins is married to Miss Roache, daughter of Mr. M. Roache, of Rangitikei, and has four children.

Photo by A. Martin. Councillor G. Mullins.

Photo by A. Martin.
Councillor G. Mullins
.

Councillor William Ritchie, who has been a member of the Waitotara County Council for the past twelve years and was chairman for one term, was born in 1844 at Kincairn, Scotland, where he was educated. When eighteen years of age he left for Dunedin in the schooner “Wanganui,” 160 tons, and on arrival in the Colony worked at different occupations for some years. He was all through the Maori war, and supplied rations to various contingents of the troops. He has now a compact farm at Westmere, five-and-a-half miles from Wanganui, where he goes in largely for cropping. Mr. Ritchie, who was a first-class athlete in his younger days is a member of the Wanganui Caledonian Society. He is married and has five children.

Photo by A. Martin, Councillor W. Ritchie.

Photo by A. Martin,
Councillor W. Ritchie
.

Councillor George Sinclair Robertson, J.P., who has been a member of the Waitotara County Council for nearly twenty years, was born in Yorkshire. He was educated and resided in Edinburgh and Peebles, till he commenced active life in Liverpool, where he was engaged in engineering works with his uncle, Mr. John Hamilton. Mr. Robertson came to the Colony in 1876 in the “Avalanche,” and purchased the “Waireka” property on the Wanganui River. He takes a great interest in the development of the frozen meat trade, being a director of the Wanganui Meat Freezing Company, and represents the firm of Nelson Bros, in that trade in the Wanganui and surrounding districts. He also takes an active interest in all matters connected with the Wanganui Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and in sporting affairs.

Mr. Thomas Roots, Foreman of the Waitotara County Council—a position he has held for seventeen years— is a Kentish man, and was born in 1828. Largely self-taught, he was brought up to a farming life, and subsequently went to London, where he was for some years employed in connection with gasworks. He came to Wellington in the ship “Alma” in 1857. Settling in Wanganui shortly afterwards, he was employed in road-contracting till 1879, when he accepted his present appointment. It is estimated that about 100 miles of road has been constructed during his term of office, in addition to which he designed and superintended the construction of six large brick culverts. In the Maori war he served in the militia under Majors Cooper, Rooke, and Noake, for two years, and, though not personally present at any engagement, he was at Kai Iwi when men were shot down half-a-mile distant. He resides on his freehold property at Springvale, where he has erected
Mr. Thos. Roots.

Mr. Thos. Roots.

page 1378 an eight-roomed house. Mrs. Roots, who died some years since, was a daughter of Mr. John Sales, a well-known gamekeeper of Surrey.

Mr. Henry Death, who was for some years a member of the Waitotara County Council, is a sheepfarmer at “Monte Video,” Waitotara. Mr. Death, who is the eldest son of the late Mr. George Death, of Rattledon, Suffolk, where he was born in 1829, was educated at his native place, and was brought up to farming pursuits on his father's property. In 1853 he arrived in Lyttelton per ship “John Taylor,” Major Briggs, who was murdered at Poverty Bay, being a shipmate. Mr. Death for fifteen years drove on the road between Wellington and the Hutt. He married a daughter of Mr. William Ridler, who came to the Hutt in 1842. In 1870 he adopted farming pursuits at Rangitikei, where he worked with great success till 1882. Coming to Waitotara he acquired his present farm of 720 acres, which is in splendid order, the paddocks being like parks. At the time of the Maori war Mr. Death served as a Volunteer at the Hutt. His family consists of twelve.