Elizabeth Paterson and Duncan Mains

Elizabeth Paterson was the sixth child of John and Elizabeth Paterson. She was born during 1841 in Durness, Sutherland, Scotland. Elizabeth was 21 years old when she came out to New Zealand, presumably with her parents in 1862 on the ‘Robert Henderson’.

Seven years later, on the 3rd of November, 1869, Elizabeth married Duncan Mains at Knox Church in Dunedin. She was 28 years old and he was 39.

Duncan and Elizabeth’s marriage notice in the Otago Daily Times on the 5th of November 1869, p. 2

Duncan Mains and his brother, John, had been in New Zealand since the 1850s, having taking over a merchant business in Port Chalmers in 1859. As well as being a businessman, Duncan was interested in local affairs and politics. He was elected to the Port Chalmers Town Board from 1862 to 1864, was a member of the Otago Gaelic committee in 1868 and the ‘District Land Register of the District of Otago’ in 1871. By 1866, Duncan was in an Otepopo committee with John Paterson, Elizabeth’s father, and continued to be engaged in various community affairs, presiding over, hosting and attending various meetings, including being a member of the first Otepopo school committee in 1867. As well as their community involvement, Duncan and his brother, John, were generous, making donations to a wide range of community organisations and causes.

Duncan had applied for rural land in Otepopo at the end of 1861 and by 1868, the Crown Grants were ready to be issued for Duncan’s land that included sections 91,92, 93, 1 of 94 and 2 of 94, of Block 5, Otepopo. These sections were further along Woodburn Road, next to John Paterson’s property, ‘Mussel Farm’. Duncan’s name also appears on several sections of Block 3.

Partial view of he Map Of the Crown Grant Index Record Map July 1861 showing John Paterson’s and some of Duncan Mains’s sections

Duncan moved to Otepopo with his brother, John, a Justice of the Peace, sometime between 1864 and 1866. They called their land ‘Woodlands’ and the property is discussed further below as it became significant not only to Elizabeth, but also other members of the Paterson clan. Over the next few years, Duncan farmed cattle and sheep at ‘Woodlands’.

Elizabeth and Duncan’s children included

1. an unnamed daughter, still born on the 16th of August 1870, at ‘Woodlands’ Otepopo

2. John - born on the 29th October 1871, at ‘Woodlands’ Otepopo and died on the 5th April, 1940 in Auckland; married Ruth Ranken Shirreff; their children included

• David George - born in 1924 and died in 1936

• Hazel - born on the 2nd May 1918 and died on the 17th December, 1996

• John (Jack) Duncan - born on the 31st May 1911 and died on the 1st May 2003

All are buried or memorialised at Row H, Plot 182 Papatoetoe Cemetery Presbyterian, Auckland

3. Neil Campbell - born on the 12th of August 1874, at ‘Woodlands’ Otepopo and died in Auckland on the 7th of January 1883 as the result of a terrible horse accident, aged 8 years old; his death required an inquest; buried in Plot 56 at the Point England Presbyterian Cemetery, Auckland

4. William James, born on the 25th of April 1876, at ‘Woodlands’ Otepopo; married Rachel Olive Boot on the 19th of April 1906 at Roslyn Presbyterian church in Dunedin; buried in Plot 56 at the Point England Presbyterian Cemetery, Auckland

5. a daughter, likely to be Janet Elizabeth (also known as Elizabeth Janet), born on the 19th of November 1877, at Sunny Bank, Remuera, Auckland; married Arthur Liston Wilson, oldest son of Mr J.L. Wilson of the “NZ Herald”, on the 16th of January 1899 at Remuera; they had no children; Janet and Arthur have a memorial at Point England Presbyterian Cemetery, Auckland

6. Duncan George - born in 1880; died at Cambridge on the 16th of August 1912, aged 32 years; 27th of July 1915 is the interment date; buried at Plot 56 at the Point England Presbyterian Cemetery, Auckland

7. George Duncan - born on the 28th of December, 1879; married Hilda Rose Hodgson (? - 2 December 1942) at St Andrews Church, Lower Symonds Street, Auckland on the 1st of February 1911; died in Cambridge on the 16 August 1912, aged 32; their child was George Duncan (NZ Armoured Corps) - born in 1911 and died on the 11th of January 1971, aged 61; all are buried at Block A Row 8 Plot 1A, Purewa Cemetary, Meadowbank, Auckland

The Waiwera Hot Springs Hotel

According to an article in 1888, Duncan and John Mains had intended to permanently live in Otepopo, however, the health of one of the brothers meant that they had to seek warmer climes. This would explain why they leased out ‘Woodlands’. It is likely that is was Duncan that was unwell, as he stayed at the Hot Springs Hotel, Waiwera, Northland, on many occasions, often with his brother John, sometimes alone, and occasionally with Elizabeth between 1878 and 1887. The Waiwera Hot Springs Hotel was a sanitarium, and included a hotel and bathing houses. The sanitarium was enormously popular, with steamship loads of people from Auckland arriving daily to drink and bathe in the mineral-rich waters.

Duncan and John are recorded as leaving for Manakau in November 1876 from Port Chalmers. There is no record of when Elizabeth and the children left Otepopo, but her daughter was born on the 19th of November, 1877 at ‘Sunnybank’, Auckland.

Looking south over Hobson Bay, towards Meadowbank, Auckland c.1920, possibly the site of Sunnybank.

In March of 1877, Duncan advertised 220 acres of Block 3 at Otepopo for sale. I suspect this sale was to purchase a property in Auckland. Possibly his Auckland farm was in the area now known as Meadowbank. This farm had been originally owned by a Canadian and was sold in 1877 to ‘a farmer’ who called it ‘Sunnybank’. This property is described as being 250 acres east of Remuera and certainly fits with all the other facts regarding Duncan and Elizabeth. Later, part of this farm was sold and renamed ‘Meadowbank’, while the remainder of over 50 acres, with frontage of 2000ft to the main road and ‘Ladies Mile’ was sold to developers in 1909. Of course this is a very sort after area of Auckland now, with ‘Ladies Mile’ stretching between Ellerslie and Remura.

Records show that Duncan had leased his Otepopo farm ‘Woodlands’ by April 1879 and so offered all of his stock including horses and cattle, and household furniture for sale. Nearly a decade later in 1887, Duncan bought section 2 of 65 Block 3 of Otepopo for 3s 6d per acre. I wonder if he saw this as an investment, legacy or was he hoping to return to the district?

An advertisement placed in the Auckland Star on the 24th March 1884, p. 3 by Duncan Mains

Duncan and Elizabeth were well respected, well connected and ‘well-to-do’. They were listed as guests at Mr Justice Gillies’ garden party in 1883. Duncan sat on the jury in 1881 and was involved with St. Lukes Presbyterian Church in 1884. Elizabeth was a guest at the Mayor’s garden party at “ Waitaramoa” Victoria Avenue, Remuera during December of 1904.

Duncan died at his residence, ‘Ellerslie House’, on the 25th of August 1895, aged 65. He left £100 to the church for ‘aged and infirm ministers’ as reported in 1897. Elizabeth died on the 9 August 1914 at Waiomo, Mountain Road, Remuera. They are buried together in Plot 56 at Point England Presbyterian Cemetery, Auckland. John Mains died on the 9th of August 1892, in Remuera Auckland. He is buried in Plot 55 at Point England Presbyterian Cemetery, Auckland, next to Duncan and Elizabeth.

Duncan and Elizabeth’s headstones and grave at Point England Presbyterian Cemetery, Auckland