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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts]

Grey County Council

Grey County Council.

The County of Grey includes the ridings of Waipuna, Nelson Creek, Red Jack's, Brunnerton, Paroa, Cobden, Maori Creek, Marsden and Hohonu. It extends for about forty miles along the West Coast line, and back to the ranges of the great Divide, the boundary lines being twenty-five miles north of Greymouth, and fifteen miles to the south. The population of the county is 6000. The capital value of all property is £443,452, and the general annual revenue from all sources, exclusive of Government grants, is about £8000. Rates of 1½d in the pound, and a charitable aid rate of three-eighths of a penny in the pound are levied on all property in the district. There are 1460 ratepayers. The Council has borrowed £2,820, of which £2,699 was obtained under the Loans to Local Bodies Act for roads and bridges, and £121 as a separate loan for a special district. The large bridges within the county include the bridge over the Teremakau river, which is maintained partly by the Grey, and partly by the Westland County Council; there are also bridges over the Little Grey, Inangahua, Grey, Ahaura, Arnold, and New River. The bridge over the Cobden is maintained partly by the Council, and partly by the borough of Greymouth. The council chambers are situated in Mackay Street, Greymouth, on half an acre of land, part of a police reserve. The building is of wood and iron, and contains five rooms; it has been occupied since the year 1877. Members of the Council for the year 1905: Mr. J. Hargreaves, chairman: the Hon. J. Marshall, M.L.C.; and Messrs J. McCarthy, J. Ryan, M. Hannan, J. Finn, W. McKechnie, S. R. Harris and R. Larkins. Mr. J. Higgins is engineer; Mr. M. Phillips, county clerk; and Mr. N. J. Phillips, assistant clerk.

Mr. James Hargreaves , J.P., is (1905) chairman of the Grey County Council, of which he has been a member since the year 1893. He was born in Lancashire, England, in 1839, and went to Melbourne, Australia, in 1853. In 1865 Mr. Hargreaves arrived in New Zealand, settled in the Greymouth district, and has resided at page 554 Ahaura since 1872. He is well known in the district as a mining agent. Mr. Hargreaves is a member of the Grey Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and of the Greymouth Harbour Board.

Mr. Stewart Robert Harris has been a member of the Grey County Council for the past twelve years, and was chairman for twelve months. He has been actively identified with public affairs in Westland and Grey since 1880, has been chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and is still (1906) a member of the Grey Education Board. Mr. Harris was born in Scotland in 1842. In early life he went to sea, and was a mariner for ten years. At the time of the Indian Mutiny Mr. Harris was in Madras. Subsequently, he was connected with the mail boats running on the New Zealand coast, and on the outbreak of the West Coast goldfields he went to Hokitika, and followed the various “rushes.” In 1890 he went to Greenstone and followed mining there for some years. He also started hotel keying in 1874, and at the present time is proprietor of Harris's Hotel. Greenstone, where he is always pleased to welcome his friends. Mr. Harris is a Freemason, and has been connected with the Oddfellows for more than thirty years. He is also secretary of the Greenstone Mining Association. In 1872 he married Miss Annie Camplin, of New South Wales, and they have one son and four daughters.

Mr. Jeremiah M'Carthy has for many years been a member of the Grey County Council, and was for some time its chairman. He was born in Victoria, Australia, in the year 1856, and came to New Zealand in 1869. Previous to taking up his residence in Greymouth, Mr. M'Carthy was in business with his father at No Town, a small hamlet, fourteen miles from Hokitika. He has a practical knowledge of goldmining, which is of much assistance to him on the Council. During Mr. M'Carthy's term of office as chairman, the Council carried out several important public works.

Mr. Michael Phillips was appointed clerk to the Grey County Council in the year 1888. He is a native of Ireland, and came to New Zealand in 1862. Mr. Phillips also acts as secretary and treasurer to the Charitable Aid Board, and as secretary and treasurer to the Grey River Hospital.