Title: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Author: Cyclopedia Company Limited

Publication details: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1905, Christchurch

Part of: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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Mr. William Philip Mirrielees , J.P., Is the holder of driving claims in Orepuki, where he also owns freehold property. He was born in 1837, in Aberdeen, Scotland, and on leaving school, entered the service of a large soft goods firm in Moscow, but returned home at the time of the Crimean war. In 1854 he arrived in Victoria, where he engaged in mining for some time, and removed to New Zealand in 1860. He started work on a station at Morven Hills, but the following year took part in the Gabriel's Gully “rush.” Mr Merrielees has followed mining ever since; and worked at Kawarau, Queenstown, Nokomai, Hokitika. and various places on the West Coast, before settling at Orepuki in 1871. He has been a member of the local school committee for many years, and has also been chairman. He has been a member of the cemetery trust since its inception, and he was for some years on the committee of the Presbyterian church. In his spare time Mr Mirrielees engages in literary work. He was married, in 1868, to a daughter of the late Mr John Lyon, of Riverton, and has three sons and one daughter.