Francis Trask
Encyclopedia
Francis Reuben Trask was a 20th century Member of the Legislative Council from Nelson
, New Zealand
and Mayor of Nelson. He also served on the Nelson Harbour Board from its inception.
, Somersetshire, England in 1840. He migrated to Christchurch
on the barque Minorca in 1860.
From Christchurch he moved to the Otago goldfields and stayed at Wetherstones Gully. After a few months he moved again to Nelson, where he settled. Trask married Emily Osborne Mercer in 1864 at Nelson. He ran a butchery business. Trask's residence in Nelson was "Gunnersbury House" and was located in Collingwood Street. The house was noted as one of the best in Nelson. The Trask's had four children.
The most notable works during his term were the Rocks Road, a new main road from the town to the country, by way of the sea coast, and the Queens Gardens. He remained Mayor until 20 December 1899 when he was succeeded by Joseph Auty Harley
.
Samuel Jickell, AMICE
, Nelson City Engineer designed the proposed road and seawall in 1885. In 1891 Jickell estimated that the cost would be about £8,000, but it proved more difficult and expensive than expected, and the final cost was almost £12,000. Work began on site in early 1892.
The seawall was constructed from large rectangular rebated precast concrete blockwork. Cecil Nash, a pioneer of the Nelson tobacco industry, is said to have made the concrete blocks near Albion Wharf. They were taken to the site by sea. Convict labour was used to build the eastern section of the wall. Twenty convicts from Shelbourne Stree Goal were marched each morning to Rocks Road. They wore ringed jerseys of black and yellow and were known as 'Sam Jickell's football team'.
Waimea County was responsible for work up to its boundary at Magazine point (so named for the cache of explosives kept in a cave there).
By 1895 the new sea wall had been built and a rough narrow roadway was available. The route was still hazardous from wave action and from rockfalls from overhands on the cliffs along the road. It had looped ropes and lifebuoys along the seawall. By late 1897 the road had been surfaced with gravel. Substantial stanchions and chains were installed along the western section of the wall-top with money donated by John Tinline, a pioneer settler, and Mr Tyler, an Englishman, by early 1898.
In 1841, when the first British immigrants arrived in the area, the land was progressively cleared of bush. In 1842 it was set aside as an abattoir and served this and a variety of other purposes until the 1880s. By this time the Eel Pond was an eyesore and needed attention.
In 1887 Trask suggested that for Nelson’s commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee a garden be created. At that time Nelson was well established, but remained one of the few towns in New Zealand that did not have a public garden. On 22 June 1887, the area was dedicated 'the Queens Gardens' as part of the commemoration of Queen Victoria's 50th Jubilee celebrations.
A competition to design the gardens was won by Antequil F. T. Somerville, whose design retained the pond much in its existing shape, and featured a wooded, formal perimeter with avenues of trees and shrubs, and a more formal and open central axis for promenading and civic functions. Included in the design was a rustic bridge over the pond, a band rotunda and a fernery. Work commenced in about 1888 and in 1892, Nelson's 50th Jubilee year, the Gardens were formally opened. Commemorative trees were planted at the opening and, over the next decade, the garden was developed.
The southern garden gates to the gardens are a memorial to Trask.
. A dinner for ‘old settlers’ , a ball for a select 300, and a fair at Trafalgar Park where 5,000 people turned out to enjoy sideshows, a merry-go-round, bands and plenty of food and beer were held.
The cannons were manufactured at a foundry in Tavistock , England. It is thought the ship's Captain gave them to the Mayor of the time, thanking the community for the care of the crew and himself. But this seems unlikely as the Fifeshire ran aground at Nelson in 1842, before there was a mayor or settlement.
The ship's Captain and part owner, Arnold, tendered refloating the vessel through Mr Poynter, a solicitor, at Nelson. This was unsuccessful and the auction was held for what remained of the ship where it lay. This too seemed to be unsuccessful and the ship was acquired by Mr Poynter. Poynter died on 31 August 1868 and his estate was either bequeathed or sold. Trask could have acquired the cannons at that time, although this is speculative.
What is known is that Trask displayed the cannons outside his home for many years. In February 1906, during the Nelson Carnival, one of the cannons was removed as a prank from outside his house and later recovered by the Police. Their last owner, William David Stoney Johnston, bequeathed them to Nelson City Council when he died in 1999. After restoration, the cannons and carriages were given to Council in 2005.
on 18 March 1903 and served until his death in 1910.
He was also a member of the Nelson Jockey Club and the Nelson Trotting Club, being both a steward and on the committee of Trotting Club. Trask was also a member of the Nelson Bowling Club, having been President for one term. He had identified himself with other branches of sport by allowing his name to appear as a vice-president in the list of officers. Trask was a Justice of the Peace
for many years and a member and past president of the City Club.
Trask was also a juror on the Maungatapu murder
trial.
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Mayor of Nelson. He also served on the Nelson Harbour Board from its inception.
Early life
Trask was born in MerriottMerriott
Merriott is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, near the town of Crewkerne and west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 2,020....
, Somersetshire, England in 1840. He migrated to Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
on the barque Minorca in 1860.
From Christchurch he moved to the Otago goldfields and stayed at Wetherstones Gully. After a few months he moved again to Nelson, where he settled. Trask married Emily Osborne Mercer in 1864 at Nelson. He ran a butchery business. Trask's residence in Nelson was "Gunnersbury House" and was located in Collingwood Street. The house was noted as one of the best in Nelson. The Trask's had four children.
Local Government
In 1878 he was elected as a city councillor until being elected Mayor in 1890. Trask became Mayor during a typhoid epidemic in the city. He kept a steady course through the 1895-1897 depression. Happier moments came in 1892 when the enthusiastic 50th jubilee celebration of Nelson took place.The most notable works during his term were the Rocks Road, a new main road from the town to the country, by way of the sea coast, and the Queens Gardens. He remained Mayor until 20 December 1899 when he was succeeded by Joseph Auty Harley
Joseph Auty Harley
Joseph Auty Harley was Mayor of Nelson, New Zealand from 20 December 1899 to 1901 when he was succeeded by Henry Baigent.-Early life:...
.
Rocks Road
In the mid-1870s Thomas Harley, a Nelson City councillor, proposed what he called 'a half-tide roadway' around the rocky shoreline between Nelson Haven and Tahunanui. Trask was very involved in advancing this project. A Government subsidy was approved for the road in the early 1880s for Nelson City and Waimea County.Samuel Jickell, AMICE
Amice
The amice is a liturgical vestment used mainly in the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, in some Anglican churches, Armenian and Polish National Catholic churches. It consists of a white cloth connected to two long ribbon-like attachments, by which it is fastened around the shoulders of the...
, Nelson City Engineer designed the proposed road and seawall in 1885. In 1891 Jickell estimated that the cost would be about £8,000, but it proved more difficult and expensive than expected, and the final cost was almost £12,000. Work began on site in early 1892.
The seawall was constructed from large rectangular rebated precast concrete blockwork. Cecil Nash, a pioneer of the Nelson tobacco industry, is said to have made the concrete blocks near Albion Wharf. They were taken to the site by sea. Convict labour was used to build the eastern section of the wall. Twenty convicts from Shelbourne Stree Goal were marched each morning to Rocks Road. They wore ringed jerseys of black and yellow and were known as 'Sam Jickell's football team'.
Waimea County was responsible for work up to its boundary at Magazine point (so named for the cache of explosives kept in a cave there).
By 1895 the new sea wall had been built and a rough narrow roadway was available. The route was still hazardous from wave action and from rockfalls from overhands on the cliffs along the road. It had looped ropes and lifebuoys along the seawall. By late 1897 the road had been surfaced with gravel. Substantial stanchions and chains were installed along the western section of the wall-top with money donated by John Tinline, a pioneer settler, and Mr Tyler, an Englishman, by early 1898.
Queens Gardens (the Eel Pond)
Queens Gardens are located to the east of the city centre within a detached residual bend of the Maitai River known as the 'Eel Pond'. This U-shaped body of water was used for food gathering by the local Maori.In 1841, when the first British immigrants arrived in the area, the land was progressively cleared of bush. In 1842 it was set aside as an abattoir and served this and a variety of other purposes until the 1880s. By this time the Eel Pond was an eyesore and needed attention.
In 1887 Trask suggested that for Nelson’s commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee a garden be created. At that time Nelson was well established, but remained one of the few towns in New Zealand that did not have a public garden. On 22 June 1887, the area was dedicated 'the Queens Gardens' as part of the commemoration of Queen Victoria's 50th Jubilee celebrations.
A competition to design the gardens was won by Antequil F. T. Somerville, whose design retained the pond much in its existing shape, and featured a wooded, formal perimeter with avenues of trees and shrubs, and a more formal and open central axis for promenading and civic functions. Included in the design was a rustic bridge over the pond, a band rotunda and a fernery. Work commenced in about 1888 and in 1892, Nelson's 50th Jubilee year, the Gardens were formally opened. Commemorative trees were planted at the opening and, over the next decade, the garden was developed.
The southern garden gates to the gardens are a memorial to Trask.
50th Jubilee
Trask oversaw Nelson's 1892 celebration of its 50th jubilee. The city had changed from the cluster of tents and huts in 1842 to a small city. The celebrations lasted a week and included a church service and parade attended by Prime Minister SeddonRichard Seddon
Richard John Seddon , sometimes known as King Dick, is to date the longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is regarded by some, including historian Keith Sinclair, as one of New Zealand's greatest political leaders....
. A dinner for ‘old settlers’ , a ball for a select 300, and a fair at Trafalgar Park where 5,000 people turned out to enjoy sideshows, a merry-go-round, bands and plenty of food and beer were held.
Trask's signal cannons
The Nelson City Council now has two signalling cannons, thought to originate from the wreck of the Fifeshire, sitting in the Council Chamber.The cannons were manufactured at a foundry in Tavistock , England. It is thought the ship's Captain gave them to the Mayor of the time, thanking the community for the care of the crew and himself. But this seems unlikely as the Fifeshire ran aground at Nelson in 1842, before there was a mayor or settlement.
The ship's Captain and part owner, Arnold, tendered refloating the vessel through Mr Poynter, a solicitor, at Nelson. This was unsuccessful and the auction was held for what remained of the ship where it lay. This too seemed to be unsuccessful and the ship was acquired by Mr Poynter. Poynter died on 31 August 1868 and his estate was either bequeathed or sold. Trask could have acquired the cannons at that time, although this is speculative.
What is known is that Trask displayed the cannons outside his home for many years. In February 1906, during the Nelson Carnival, one of the cannons was removed as a prank from outside his house and later recovered by the Police. Their last owner, William David Stoney Johnston, bequeathed them to Nelson City Council when he died in 1999. After restoration, the cannons and carriages were given to Council in 2005.
Legislative Council
Trask was appointed to the Legislative CouncilNew Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...
on 18 March 1903 and served until his death in 1910.
Other Community Service
Trask served for several years on the Town Schools Committee, was a director of the Nelson Permanent Building Society from 20 May 1890, and took a very keen interest in friendly society matters, being a member of both the Court Robin Hood, A.0.F., and the Howard Lodge M.U. I.O.O.F. Trask was chair of orders and was a trustee of the Nelson District A.O.F.He was also a member of the Nelson Jockey Club and the Nelson Trotting Club, being both a steward and on the committee of Trotting Club. Trask was also a member of the Nelson Bowling Club, having been President for one term. He had identified himself with other branches of sport by allowing his name to appear as a vice-president in the list of officers. Trask was a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for many years and a member and past president of the City Club.
Trask was also a juror on the Maungatapu murder
Maungatapu murders
The Maungatapu murders were the events surrounding the murders of five people on the Maungatapu track in two separate attacks, near Nelson, New Zealand which occurred on 12 and 13 June 1866...
trial.