Johnny Jones
Encyclopedia
John "Johnny" Jones was a pioneer settler in New Zealand
.
Born in New South Wales
, Australia
, Jones spent his early life on sealing and whaling ships, before becoming a ferryman at Port Jackson
. He married Sarah Sizemore in 1828, and they had 11 children, although two died as infants.
In 1835 Jones and Edwin Palmer went into a partnership to purchase a whaling station in New Zealand and a schooner for whaling. Within the next few years, his shrewd business skills allowed him to gain a controlling interest in seven New Zealand whaling stations.
In 1838 he bought a whaling station and land near Waikouaiti
, and also purchased from Ngai Tahu
chief "Bloody Jack" Tuhawaiki
a large area of land, amounting to a considerable part of what is now North
and Central Otago
. Much of this purchase was later annulled when South Island lands were ceded to The Crown
. After long wrangling, Jones was eventually allowed to keep some 11,000 acres (45 km²).
In 1840, Jones' Waikouaiti station became the organised settlement in the eastern South Island. About 10 families from Sydney
were settled close to the station as a farming community, to provide food for the station and to grow crops and to raise sheep and cattle.
Financial constraints (due in part to a recession in 1840s Sydney) led Jones to move permanently to New Zealand with his family in 1843, dividing his time between Waikouaiti and Wellington
. The decline of whaling forced him to close the Waikouaiti station in the late 1840s, and he concentrated on developing his farm which soon became an important food source for the new settlement of Dunedin
, where he moved to in 1854. During the early days of settlement in Dunedin, Jones' shipping and trading interests set him up as the chief rival to James Macandrew
.
In 1861, Jones asked Dr William Chapman, then of Christchurch
, to be the GP for the Waikouaiti community (ref Waikouaiti Museum).
During the 1860s, Jones' interests again turned to shipping, firstly as a shareholder of the short-lived Otago Steam Ship Company, and then through his own venture, the Harbour Steam Navigation Company, which served the ports of Dunedin, Port Chalmers
, and Oamaru
, and later also traded with Hokitika on the West Coast
.
Jones had little interest in politics, and refused a position offered by Edward Stafford
on the New Zealand Legislative Council
. He did, however, serve as chairman of the Dunedin Town Board in 1856. Jones died in Dunedin in 1869, and is buried in the city's Southern Cemetery.
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...
.
Born in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Jones spent his early life on sealing and whaling ships, before becoming a ferryman at Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
. He married Sarah Sizemore in 1828, and they had 11 children, although two died as infants.
In 1835 Jones and Edwin Palmer went into a partnership to purchase a whaling station in New Zealand and a schooner for whaling. Within the next few years, his shrewd business skills allowed him to gain a controlling interest in seven New Zealand whaling stations.
In 1838 he bought a whaling station and land near Waikouaiti
Waikouaiti
Waikouaiti is a small town in East Otago, New Zealand, within the city limits of Dunedin. The town is close to the coast and the mouth of the Waikouaiti River....
, and also purchased from Ngai Tahu
Ngai Tahu
Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori iwi of the southern region of New Zealand, with the tribal authority, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, being based in Christchurch and Invercargill. The iwi combines three groups, Kāi Tahu itself, and Waitaha and Kāti Mamoe who lived in the South Island prior...
chief "Bloody Jack" Tuhawaiki
Tuhawaiki
Tuhawaiki — often known as Hone Tuhawaiki, John Tuhawaiki or Jack Tuhawaiki, or by his nickname of "Bloody Jack" — became a paramount chief of the Ngāi Tahu Māori iwi in the southern part of the South Island of New Zealand...
a large area of land, amounting to a considerable part of what is now North
North Otago
The district of North Otago in New Zealand covers the area of Otago between Shag Point and the Waitaki River, and extends inland to the west as far as the village of Omarama . The large east-coast town of Oamaru serves as North Otago's main centre...
and Central Otago
Central Otago
Central Otago is the inland part of the New Zealand region of Otago in the South Island. The area commonly known as Central Otago includes both the Central Otago District and the Queenstown-Lakes District to the west....
. Much of this purchase was later annulled when South Island lands were ceded to The Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
. After long wrangling, Jones was eventually allowed to keep some 11,000 acres (45 km²).
In 1840, Jones' Waikouaiti station became the organised settlement in the eastern South Island. About 10 families from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
were settled close to the station as a farming community, to provide food for the station and to grow crops and to raise sheep and cattle.
Financial constraints (due in part to a recession in 1840s Sydney) led Jones to move permanently to New Zealand with his family in 1843, dividing his time between Waikouaiti and Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. The decline of whaling forced him to close the Waikouaiti station in the late 1840s, and he concentrated on developing his farm which soon became an important food source for the new settlement of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, where he moved to in 1854. During the early days of settlement in Dunedin, Jones' shipping and trading interests set him up as the chief rival to James Macandrew
James Macandrew
James Macandrew was a New Zealand ship-owner and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1853 to 1887 and as the last Superintendent of Otago Province.-Early life:...
.
In 1861, Jones asked Dr William Chapman, then of 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...
, to be the GP for the Waikouaiti community (ref Waikouaiti Museum).
During the 1860s, Jones' interests again turned to shipping, firstly as a shareholder of the short-lived Otago Steam Ship Company, and then through his own venture, the Harbour Steam Navigation Company, which served the ports of Dunedin, Port Chalmers
Port Chalmers
Port Chalmers is a suburb and the main port of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, with a population of 3,000. Port Chalmers lies ten kilometres inside Otago Harbour, some 15 kilometres northeast from Dunedin's city centre....
, and Oamaru
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
, and later also traded with Hokitika on the West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...
.
Jones had little interest in politics, and refused a position offered by Edward Stafford
Edward Stafford (politician)
Sir Edward Stafford, KCMG served as the third Premier of New Zealand on three occasions in the mid 19th century. His total time in office is the longest of any leader without a political party. He is described as pragmatic, logical, and clear-sighted.-Early life and career:Edward William Stafford...
on the New Zealand Legislative Council
New 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:...
. He did, however, serve as chairman of the Dunedin Town Board in 1856. Jones died in Dunedin in 1869, and is buried in the city's Southern Cemetery.