The Waitemata Post
Thursday June 22nd, 1911
Mr John Webster, of Hokianga,
Enters upon his 94th year to-morrow, and, after practically 70
years residence in Hokianga, is now living at Devonport, near his
son, Mr J.C. Webster. His two daughters, Misses C.J. and F.
Webster, and his son, Mr G.F. Webster, reside with him. The subject
of this notice was born at Montrose, Scotland, on the 30th June,
1818, and we are delighted to state that, in spite of his advanced
years, he is looking very well and walks about unaided. He was
educated at Montrose Academy, and his life has been crowded with a
series of adventures and stirring incidents which fall to the lot
of few men. In 1838 he arrived in Sydney in the barque "Portland",
and at once became acquainted with Mr Edward Howe and his brothers,
who were station holders, and in 1839 journeyed overland with a mob
of cattle to Adelaide. He returned to Sydney, and in the following
year again assisted Howe Bros. with another mob of cattle for
Adelaide, but this time via the banks of the Murray River. This was
the first party of whites to attempt that route, and the blacks
were very troublesome. On this occasion Mr Webster discovered and
named the "Edward" River, after Mr Edward Howe. The journey
occupied five months, and the distance covered was 1302 miles. At
Adelaide he saw the first steamer to venture to the colonies, the
paddle steamer "Thirteen", with an express speed of nearly five
knots an hour. She was going on to Port Phillip, and Mr Webster
took passage in her to that port, where at the time there were no
pretentions of a city, only a few tents being in view. From here he
heard of his brother William's arrival in Hokianga, New Zealand,
and on 20th April, 1841, was a passenger per the barque "Jupiter",
and landed at the Bay of Islands ten days later. After a few days
he took a boat to Waitangi and walked the 40 miles to Hokianga by a
sloppy bush track. In those days horses were an unknown quantity.
He met Dr. (now Sir John Campbell) there, and they had many
pleasant adventures afterwards in Hokianga in the "good old days".
Thus sprang up a life-long and true friendship.
In 1845 Heke's war broke out, and Mr Webster and the late Judge
Manning fought side by side. In 1849 he went with other Aucklanders
to the California gold rush, and was present at the great fire in
1851, which devastated the whole city. At California he joined
Captain Benjamin Boyd in the Royal Yacht Squadron schooner
"Wanderer", 240 tons with an armament of eight guns (the brass gun
now in Albert Park was presented to Captain Boyd by the English
Horse Guards, and was the Wanderer's "Long Tom). The expedition was
to found a South Sea Islands Republic. The voyage only extended
five months owing to the murder of Captain Boyd by the Solomon
Islanders at Guadal-Canar. The yacht was subsequently wrecked in a
gale at Port Macquarie. In 1853 he visited England and had the
honour of showing his complete series of sketches of "The Cruise of
the Wanderer" to Her Majesty the Queen, who expressed herself
greatly interested in Boyd's untimely and melancholy fate. Ben Boyd
was High steward of Scotland at the ceremony of Her Majesty's
Coronation. Mr Webster returned to Auckland in 1855 and went on to
Hokianga, where he found his old friend, Mr G.F. Russell, dying.
Later he married the latter's eldest daughter (whom he survives),
and subsequent to Mr Russell's death carried on his timber business
at Kohukohu, shipping timber to all parts of the world. He has also
travelled through India, Ceylon, Egypt, and was the recipient of
the Order of Arrossi, Sandwich Islands, with the Gold Cross. As
showing the honesty of the early settlers, the manner in which
business was done in "the forties" is worth recording. At that time
Mr Webster exported a lot of timber to Sydney, receiving back
clothing and other goods. As there was no Custom officer at
Hokianga, the Government arranged with him that he should collect
his own Customs duties and remit the amounts to the Treasury. Such
arrangement would hardly hold good in these competitive times, but
the early settlers generally proved to be men of their word.
Tukua mai āu nā kōreroSubmit your storyTāhuhu kōrero
Contributed stories
Do you have a story related to this letter from the Partridge Correspondence? Maybe you have images of the person who wrote it? If you would like to see your story published on this website, please submit it here. All stories are reviewed before publishing.