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Historic Poverty Bay and the East Coast, N.I., N.Z.

Biographical

Biographical.

Christian Hansen (born in Denmark) migrated to Queensland in 1852. He came over to Makauri in 1873, and was followed by his parents and other members of the family in 1874. When he moved to Motu in the late 1880's that district was in its virgin state. He established an accommodation house—at first only a slab hut—which became the halfway house between Gisborne and Opotiki. Known as “The Father of Motu,” he died on 11 July, 1910.

William King (born at Blaby, England, in 1837) landed at Auckland in 1862. Settling in Poverty Bay as a builder in 1866, his first contract was to erect for Captain Read the building which, for a number of years, was used as a courthouse. He was the district's principal sawmiller in the early days. His death took place on 31 December, 1902.

James Whinray (born in Lancashire in 1845) reached Napier in 1874, and, in 1877, moved to Gisborne, where he opened a furniture warehouse. A sideboard in rimu and puriri which he sent to the Franco-British Exhibition in 1909 gained an award of a silver medal. Carved on the bottom panel were a pig, a flax bush and a cabbage tree, the design being described as “Poverty Bay's Coat of Arms.” He served on Gisborne Borough Council and Gisborne Harbour Board. His name was given to Whinray's Park, a State forest reserve at Motu, which he induced the Government to set aside for the public. He died on 3 August, 1912. Mrs. Whinray was 91 years old when she died on 25 April, 1940.