James McKAY was a farmer explorer, politician.
1 There is a tombstone in the Paeroa Cemetery which reads:
JAMES MACKAY 1831 - 1912
Pioneer, Explorer and Friend of the Maori People.
Became Magistrate on the Collingwood Field: 1858.
Civil Commissioner at Thames: 1864.
Warden and Resident Magistrate on Hauraki Goldfields: 1868.
Throughout troubled times in the Thames Valley and the Waikato
he was energetic, just, and A Maker of Peace.
Erected by the N.Z. Government.
James Mackay was the eldest son of a distinguished Scottish family. In 1844, the Mackays chartered a ship, the 'Staines Castle', to bring their family with two nephews, and some servants from Scotland to Nelson. They built a house on a terrace overlooking their landing place and called it Drumduan after a Mackay home in the far north of Sunderlandshire in Scotland. Mr. Mackay had been a banker in Scotland and was afterwards connected with the firm of Lloyds in London. In New Zealand, he not only farmed but took a keen interest in the affairs of both the new country and the local settlement.
The 'Staines Castle' left England in October 1844 and arrived in Nelson on 26th January, 1845. James Mackay junior celebrated his 13th birthday on the high seas. He was naturally robust, and quickly developed - strong, active, and shrewd. This was fortunate for the period was one of great distress for the settlers, food being extremely scarce. It was necessary for all members of the family to work hard, and the boys were soon initiated into the mysteries of farming, bush work, sheep and cattle management, stock riding, etc.
On coming of age in 1852, James received some money and procured a Depasturage Licence of a sheep and cattle run at Cape Farewell. He subsequently bought 1500 acres of land. Being interested in the Maori people, he soon learned much about them and became a good linguist. By the time he was 25, he was able to supply the Provincial Government with a number of carefully drawn maps and valuable information. This led to his being entrusted with the task of exploration further south.
When Mackay returned to Nelson, he found that a gold rush had set in, with 1300 Whites and 600 Maoris in the field. By virtue of his knowledge of Maori lore, he was made Assistant Native Secretary, and was soon appointed Warden of the new Collingwood Goldfield, thus becoming the first Gold Warden in New Zealand in 1857. In 1859, he received another assignment, being instructed by the Government to return to the West Coast to complete the purchase of 7,500,000 acres of land from the Maoris. Mackay was then transferred to the Auckland Office of the Governor's Land Purchase Commissioner, Sir Donald McLean, and from that time was destined to play a very prominent part in the progress of the Coromandel Peninsula, where he spent much of the remainder of his life. In 1863, he married Miss Eliza Sophia Braithwaite of Nelson, and they lived for many years in Thames and later in Paeroa. He immigrated to ENG to NZ on the Slains Castle arriving Nelson 26/1/1845 on 24 October 1844.
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