John Anderson (mayor)
Encyclopedia
John Anderson was the second Mayor of Christchurch
in New Zealand
1868–1869, and a successful businessman. He had a close connection with three buildings (his office building, later known as the Guthrey Centre
; St Andrew's Church, which is these days located at Rangi Ruru
; St Paul's Church
) that have later received Category I heritage registrations by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
. Two of these buildings were demolished following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
His company became even more successful under the leadership of two of his sons, and it existed until 1986.
, near Edinburgh
in Scotland
. He was the son of Alexander Anderson (a ploughman) and his wife Jean Harper.
He was married to Jane Gibson on 3 June 1845. Before her marriage, his wife was employed by the Dalmahoy family, who later helped their desire of emigrating to New Zealand by advancing £300 for the move. Their first two children, Marion and Alexander, died as infants, and this is believed to have been a stimulus for them to emigrate.
Their third child John was born in 1849 and the family of three came out to New Zealand on one of the First Four Ships, the Sir George Seymour
, arriving in Lyttelton
at 10 am on Tuesday, 17 December 1850.
A fourth child, Andrew, was born in 1851. Jean, Alexander, Elizabeth and Frederick were born between 1853 and 1861.
. Following this, he was employed by railway companies.
In New Zealand, he settled at The Bricks 43.52540°N 172.64510°W, a locality on the Avon River
in central Christchurch
, representing the most upstream location that could be reached by boat in those days. He was influenced by John Deans to settle in Christchurch rather than in Lyttelton, where most of the other settlers established themselves. Anderson was a neighbour with the surveyor Edward Jollie
, who lived in the leftmost hut shown in the Drury painting.
In February 1852, Anderson moved slightly south to Cashel Street, where he had bought a section. He bought up more land between Cashel Street and Lichfield Street for his expanding company. His residence 'Inveresk' was built on the opposite site of the road to the production facilities.
In 1866, Anderson sent his sons John and Andrew to Edinburgh for schooling at the highly regarded Merchiston Castle School
. Both started their working career in Scotland, with John as a mechanical engineer
in Glasgow, and Andrew as a civil engineer
in Edinburgh. Upon their respective returns to New Zealand in 1873 and 1876, they both worked in their father's business.
In 1881, Anderson retired from the company, passing management on to John and Andrew. In the same year, the new company office was built on the Cashel Street site. It was known in later years as the Guthrey Centre
and was demolished in August 2011 as a consequence of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The building was listed as a Category I heritage structure with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
.
From small beginnings, the business had grown to cover all sorts of engineering. Machinery was produced that would process the region's products. The company expanded after Anderson's retirement and became a major player in the production of railway hardware, road and rail bridges. A Lyttelton works was opened in 1887 to build and maintain vessels. The firm built gold dredges and the steel lighthouse for Farewell Spit
(1895–1896).
One example of significant bridges was the Beaumont
road bridge over the Clutha River
, which is also known as the Dunkeld Bridge, as this was the original survey name for the township that soon took the name of Beaumont. The bridge was opened by John Anderson on 4 March 1887 with a champagne lunch. A champagne lunch of such proportions that the location for the presentation is still called Champagne Flat was held at the opening of the Waiau Ferry Bridge, these days a Category I heritage item registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
. Another early and outstanding bridge was the Waiteti Viaduct, the northernmost viaduct on the North Island Main Trunk railway a few kilometres south of Te Kuiti
. This structure was also completed in 1887. Probably the most significant structure on the North Island Main Trunk Railway is the Makatote Viaduct 12 km south of National Park
. At 79 m, it is the highest on this line. It took three years to build and Andrew Anderson moved his family to the construction village, so that he could oversee the work. The viaduct was commissioned in 1908.
For a long time, the company was under family membership, with all employees known to management by name, fostering a good employee / management relationship. Andersons Ltd merged with Mason Brothers Ltd in 1964 and ceased trading in 1986.
.
Elections for Christchurch City Council
were held annually. He was elected on several subsequent occasions: 1867–1869 and 1871. On 16 December 1868, the city council held its annual general meeting. In those days, the councillors elected one of their group as mayor at an annual meeting, i.e. the position was not elected at large (by the voting public) as is the case today. Councillor Anderson was elected unanimously as the second mayor of Christchurch.
His time as mayor is best remembered for him hosting the visit to Christchurch by the young Prince Albert, Duke of Edinburgh
. The welcoming procession march was led by Anderson's foundry staff. As mayor, he presided at the official welcome luncheon. He carried out his duties to such satisfaction that citizens presented him with a silver tea and coffee service afterwards.
In 1881, the year when Anderson retired from his business, he stood as a parliamentary candidate for Christchurch South
. Two candidates contested the seat, and Anderson was beaten by John Holmes
, who had a majority of 113 votes.
. He made long trips through Canterbury, trying to establish new congregations. In 1854, he was a founding member of the congregation of St Andrew's Church, and a request for a minister was sent to Scotland. In response, the first Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Charles Fraser (1823–1886), came to Canterbury in 1856. The crown had granted land at the corner of Tuam Street and Oxford Terrace
(43.53490°N 172.62720°W) for the church, and St Andrew’s was opened on 1 February 1857.
In 1858, Fraser established Addington Cemetery (43.54350°N 172.62360°W) in Addington
as a public burial ground. It was often called the 'Scotch Cemetery' because of its links to the Presbyterian Church, but it was open to all denominations and was thus the first 'public' cemetery in Christchurch. The cemetery was eventually taken over by the Christchurch City Council.
When Fraser's more liberal views clashed with those of his congregation, Anderson was the leading person for forming the second congregation, and he laid the foundation stone at the new St Paul's Church
. With two others, he travelled to Wanganui
, trying and succeeding to attract Rev. Elmslie to St Paul's. Anderson's oldest daughter, Jean, was married to Elmslie in 1881, with the reception at their house Inveresk. The church damage in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
, and partially collapsed in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. By June 2011, St Paul's had been demolished. St Paul's was listed as a Category I heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.
Although Canterbury was an Anglican settlement, the first three mayors were all Presbyterian Scotsmen—William Wilson
in 1868, followed by John Anderson in 1869 and Andrew Duncan
in 1870.
St Andrew's Church was relocated from its original site to Rangi Ruru Girls' School
in 1986. The church is listed as a Category I heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust with registration number 304.
Anderson died on 30 April 1897 at his residence Inveresk in Cashel Street in central Christchurch
. He was survived by four sons and two daughters. The funeral service for Anderson was held at St Paul's. The Andersons are both buried at Addington Cemetery.
Mayor of Christchurch
The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system...
in 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...
1868–1869, and a successful businessman. He had a close connection with three buildings (his office building, later known as the Guthrey Centre
Guthrey Centre
The Guthrey Centre at 126 Cashel Street, Christchurch Central City, originally the offices of Andersons Foundry and later 'Andersons Ltd, was a Category I heritage building registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust...
; St Andrew's Church, which is these days located at Rangi Ruru
Rangi Ruru
Rangi Ruru Girls' School is a school located in Christchurch, New Zealand for girls aged 11 to 18 .It is an independent day and boarding school in the inner suburb of Merivale, close to the central city, parks, museum and airport.-History:...
; St Paul's Church
St Paul's Church, Christchurch
St Paul's Church in Cashel Street, Christchurch, was a Category I heritage building registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. It was demolished after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.-History:...
) that have later received Category I heritage registrations by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
. Two of these buildings were demolished following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
His company became even more successful under the leadership of two of his sons, and it existed until 1986.
Early life
Anderson was born on 7 November 1820 in InvereskInveresk
Inveresk is a civil parish and was formerly a village that now forms the southern part of Musselburgh. It is situated on slightly elevated ground at the south of Musselburgh in East Lothian, Scotland...
, near Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was the son of Alexander Anderson (a ploughman) and his wife Jean Harper.
He was married to Jane Gibson on 3 June 1845. Before her marriage, his wife was employed by the Dalmahoy family, who later helped their desire of emigrating to New Zealand by advancing £300 for the move. Their first two children, Marion and Alexander, died as infants, and this is believed to have been a stimulus for them to emigrate.
Their third child John was born in 1849 and the family of three came out to New Zealand on one of the First Four Ships, the Sir George Seymour
Sir George Seymour (ship)
The Sir George Seymour was one of the first four ships in 1850 to carry emigrants from England to the new colony of Canterbury in New Zealand. The other three ships were Cressy, Charlotte-Jane and Randolph.-Voyage:...
, arriving in Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
at 10 am on Tuesday, 17 December 1850.
A fourth child, Andrew, was born in 1851. Jean, Alexander, Elizabeth and Frederick were born between 1853 and 1861.
Professional life
In Scotland, Anderson learned the trade of a blacksmithBlacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
. Following this, he was employed by railway companies.
Avon River, Canterbury
The Avon River flows through the centre of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, and out to an estuary, which it shares with the Heathcote River, the Avon Heathcote Estuary.- Geology :...
in central Christchurch
Christchurch Central City
Christchurch Central City is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the four avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green...
, representing the most upstream location that could be reached by boat in those days. He was influenced by John Deans to settle in Christchurch rather than in Lyttelton, where most of the other settlers established themselves. Anderson was a neighbour with the surveyor Edward Jollie
Edward Jollie
Edward Jollie was a pioneer land surveyor in New Zealand, initially as a cadet surveyor with the New Zealand Company. He followed his elder brother Francis Jollie to New Zealand, arriving on the barque Brougham in Wellington in 1842...
, who lived in the leftmost hut shown in the Drury painting.
In February 1852, Anderson moved slightly south to Cashel Street, where he had bought a section. He bought up more land between Cashel Street and Lichfield Street for his expanding company. His residence 'Inveresk' was built on the opposite site of the road to the production facilities.
In 1866, Anderson sent his sons John and Andrew to Edinburgh for schooling at the highly regarded Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
. Both started their working career in Scotland, with John as a mechanical engineer
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
in Glasgow, and Andrew as a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
in Edinburgh. Upon their respective returns to New Zealand in 1873 and 1876, they both worked in their father's business.
In 1881, Anderson retired from the company, passing management on to John and Andrew. In the same year, the new company office was built on the Cashel Street site. It was known in later years as the Guthrey Centre
Guthrey Centre
The Guthrey Centre at 126 Cashel Street, Christchurch Central City, originally the offices of Andersons Foundry and later 'Andersons Ltd, was a Category I heritage building registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust...
and was demolished in August 2011 as a consequence of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The building was listed as a Category I heritage structure with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
.
From small beginnings, the business had grown to cover all sorts of engineering. Machinery was produced that would process the region's products. The company expanded after Anderson's retirement and became a major player in the production of railway hardware, road and rail bridges. A Lyttelton works was opened in 1887 to build and maintain vessels. The firm built gold dredges and the steel lighthouse for Farewell Spit
Farewell Spit
Farewell Spit is a narrow sand spit situated at , at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. Known to the Māori as Tuhuroa, it runs eastwards from Cape Farewell, the island's northernmost point...
(1895–1896).
One example of significant bridges was the Beaumont
Beaumont, New Zealand
Beaumont is a small town in inland Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on the Clutha River six kilometres southeast of Raes Junction, between Roxburgh and Balclutha...
road bridge over the Clutha River
Clutha River
The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand flowing south-southeast through Central and South Otago from Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of ,...
, which is also known as the Dunkeld Bridge, as this was the original survey name for the township that soon took the name of Beaumont. The bridge was opened by John Anderson on 4 March 1887 with a champagne lunch. A champagne lunch of such proportions that the location for the presentation is still called Champagne Flat was held at the opening of the Waiau Ferry Bridge, these days a Category I heritage item registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
. Another early and outstanding bridge was the Waiteti Viaduct, the northernmost viaduct on the North Island Main Trunk railway a few kilometres south of Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti is a small town in the south of the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the junction of State Highways 3 and 30 and on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, 80 km south of Hamilton....
. This structure was also completed in 1887. Probably the most significant structure on the North Island Main Trunk Railway is the Makatote Viaduct 12 km south of National Park
National Park, New Zealand
National Park is a small town on the central plateau of the North Island of New Zealand. Also known as National Park Village it is the highest urban township in New Zealand at 825 metres. As the name suggests, it borders the World Heritage Tongariro National Park, New Zealand's first national...
. At 79 m, it is the highest on this line. It took three years to build and Andrew Anderson moved his family to the construction village, so that he could oversee the work. The viaduct was commissioned in 1908.
For a long time, the company was under family membership, with all employees known to management by name, fostering a good employee / management relationship. Andersons Ltd merged with Mason Brothers Ltd in 1964 and ceased trading in 1986.
Political career
In 1862, the first municipal council of Christchurch was elected. 20 citizens put their names forward, and Anderson had the second highest number of votes, after John Hall, who later became a Premier of New ZealandPrime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
.
Elections for Christchurch City Council
Christchurch City Council
The Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since 2007, the Mayor of Christchurch is Bob Parker, who stood as an independent candidate...
were held annually. He was elected on several subsequent occasions: 1867–1869 and 1871. On 16 December 1868, the city council held its annual general meeting. In those days, the councillors elected one of their group as mayor at an annual meeting, i.e. the position was not elected at large (by the voting public) as is the case today. Councillor Anderson was elected unanimously as the second mayor of Christchurch.
His time as mayor is best remembered for him hosting the visit to Christchurch by the young Prince Albert, Duke of Edinburgh
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha...
. The welcoming procession march was led by Anderson's foundry staff. As mayor, he presided at the official welcome luncheon. He carried out his duties to such satisfaction that citizens presented him with a silver tea and coffee service afterwards.
In 1881, the year when Anderson retired from his business, he stood as a parliamentary candidate for Christchurch South
Christchurch South
Christchurch South was a parliamentary electorate in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand from 1881 to 1890 and then from 1905 to 1946.-History:The electorate was represented by five Members of Parliament....
. Two candidates contested the seat, and Anderson was beaten by John Holmes
John Holmes (New Zealand)
John Holmes was a 19th century Member of Parliament from Christchurch in the Canterbury Region, New Zealand.He represented the Christchurch South electorate from 1881 to 1887, when he retired.-References:...
, who had a majority of 113 votes.
Presbyterian Church
The Andersons were one of five Scottish settler families in Canterbury. Anderson was very active in the Presbyterian ChurchPresbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
. He made long trips through Canterbury, trying to establish new congregations. In 1854, he was a founding member of the congregation of St Andrew's Church, and a request for a minister was sent to Scotland. In response, the first Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Charles Fraser (1823–1886), came to Canterbury in 1856. The crown had granted land at the corner of Tuam Street and Oxford Terrace
(43.53490°N 172.62720°W) for the church, and St Andrew’s was opened on 1 February 1857.
In 1858, Fraser established Addington Cemetery (43.54350°N 172.62360°W) in Addington
Addington, New Zealand
Addington is a major suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is sited south-west of the city centre.-Description:The suburb was named for the country residence of Bishop John Sumner, one of the leading members of the Canterbury Association....
as a public burial ground. It was often called the 'Scotch Cemetery' because of its links to the Presbyterian Church, but it was open to all denominations and was thus the first 'public' cemetery in Christchurch. The cemetery was eventually taken over by the Christchurch City Council.
When Fraser's more liberal views clashed with those of his congregation, Anderson was the leading person for forming the second congregation, and he laid the foundation stone at the new St Paul's Church
St Paul's Church, Christchurch
St Paul's Church in Cashel Street, Christchurch, was a Category I heritage building registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. It was demolished after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.-History:...
. With two others, he travelled to Wanganui
Whanganui
Various places in New Zealand are called Whanganui:*Whanganui, a city at the mouth of the Whanganui River, also often spelled "Wanganui", Manawatu-Wanganui Region*Whanganui District, Manawatu-Wanganui Region*Whanganui Island, Waikato Region...
, trying and succeeding to attract Rev. Elmslie to St Paul's. Anderson's oldest daughter, Jean, was married to Elmslie in 1881, with the reception at their house Inveresk. The church damage in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
2010 Canterbury earthquake
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am on local time ....
, and partially collapsed in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. By June 2011, St Paul's had been demolished. St Paul's was listed as a Category I heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.
Although Canterbury was an Anglican settlement, the first three mayors were all Presbyterian Scotsmen—William Wilson
William Wilson (mayor)
William Barbour Wilson , also known as "Cabbage" Wilson, was the first Mayor of Christchurch in New Zealand in 1868.-Early life:...
in 1868, followed by John Anderson in 1869 and Andrew Duncan
Andrew Duncan (mayor)
Andrew Duncan was Mayor of Christchurch 1869–1870. From a working class background in Scotland, he emigrated to New Zealand as a young man and became a highly respected member of the Christchurch community...
in 1870.
St Andrew's Church was relocated from its original site to Rangi Ruru Girls' School
Rangi Ruru
Rangi Ruru Girls' School is a school located in Christchurch, New Zealand for girls aged 11 to 18 .It is an independent day and boarding school in the inner suburb of Merivale, close to the central city, parks, museum and airport.-History:...
in 1986. The church is listed as a Category I heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust with registration number 304.
Death
Jane Anderson died on 20 March 1894, aged 73. The funeral service was held at St Paul's two days later.Anderson died on 30 April 1897 at his residence Inveresk in Cashel Street in central Christchurch
Christchurch Central City
Christchurch Central City is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the four avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green...
. He was survived by four sons and two daughters. The funeral service for Anderson was held at St Paul's. The Andersons are both buried at Addington Cemetery.