Miss Magdalena Jane Orchiston , who has been in charge of the Waikaia office since 1889, was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. Her father was Mr J. Orchiston, grain merchant, of the city of Aberdeen. After arriving in Port Chalmers by the ship “Silistria,” in 1862, she became a school mistress, and taught in a private school and public school at Balclutha page 1048 until 1874; entered the post and telegraph office at Hawera in 1875, and was afterwards mistress of schools at Gore and Ferndale, which was named after the property of Miss Orchiston's father. She was then appointed to her present position, as she had learned postal and telegraph work under her brother, Mr Joseph Orchiston, Inspector of Telegraphs for Otago and Southland, in the Hawera post office. Miss Orchiston is also Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for the Waikaia district, and is said to be the first lady registrar appointed in the British dominions. As Registrar, she is empowered to solemnise marriages.