John Douglas, pastoralist
John Douglas (1829-1903) was for many years one of the most
prominent pastoralists of New Zealand.
Latterly he lived at
Mount Royal, Palmerston, Otago. This property, which adjoins the
borough of Palmerston, consists of 23,400 acres of freehold land,
and about 500 acres of leasehold. It carries in fairly good seasons
about 30,000 sheep, chiefly Border Leicester crosses, in addition to
a small herd of a few hundred head of cattle, the greater portion of
the lands being pastoral. Mr. Douglas also owned the Waihao Downs
estate, South Canterbury, consisting of 10,200 acres of freehold,
less about 1500 acres sold by him in agricultural farms. Waihao
Downs is of limestone formation, with rich clay subsoil, and is
therefore admirably adapted for the growing of wheat and other
cereals and root crops, as well as for sheep rearing and fattening.
Since the inception of meat freezing for exportation about 10,000
freezers have been annually reared and fattened there for that
purpose.
Mr. Douglas was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in
1829, and as a farmer's son in Strathmore, where high class farming
has long flourished, he acquired a taste for, and an acquaintance
with matters relating to agriculture and stock. He was educated and
trained in a lawyer's and factor's office, where he acquired a
knowledge of business and a practical acquaintance with estate
management, land reclamation and improvement, and agricultural and
stock pursuits generally. This experience proved of much service to
him in after life. His more experienced relations, however, directed
his attention to commercial life as affording better opportunities
of advancoment, and he accepted a position in his cousin's
mercantile house, then Paton and Fleming, now Fleming, Douglas and
Co., of Dundee, the Scottish branch of Robinson, Fleming and Co.,
London.
He subsequently became interested in land in New
Zealand, and came out to the colony in 1862, as managing partner in
certain investments and agent in others. Before leaving London he
was joined by the late Mr. F. G. Alderson, son of Baron Alderson, of
London, as partner in the agency department of the business, under
the style of Douglas, Alderson and Co. Mr. Alderson subsequently
arrived in the colony, and died in February, 1865.
Mr.
Douglas continued as the representative of the firm and acquired
lands named by him and now known as Clydevale and Edendale estates,
Kurow, Kawarau, Deep Dell and Hakataramea stations and others. These
several estates and stations—with the exception of Hakataramea and
Deep Dell, and others under the late Mr. Robert Hamilton's
management, as well as those which the Hon. Mr. Holmes and his
partners at that time owned—were taken over in 1867 at valuation by
and amalgamated into a Limited Liability Company; namely, the New
Zealand and Australian Land Company, Limited. Mr. Douglas, however,
continued to act as New Zealand agent and general manager until
1870, when Messrs Russell, Ritchie and Co. became New Zealand agents
and attorneys for the company. Mr. Thomas Brydone, who at that time
was acting as inspector of estates, then assumed their management.
Mr. Douglas, then and afterwards, purchased on his own account
several properties, most of which he afterwards resold, save Mount
Royal and Waihao Downs.
In 1870, before going to live at
Mount Royal, Mr. Douglas unsuccessfully contested with the Hon. John
McKenzie, the Waihemo seat in the Otago Provincial Council. Mr.
Douglas was married in 1863 to a daughter of the late Mr. Thomas
Rattray, of Brewlands, Perthshire, Scotland, but that lady died in
1864, leaving one son, John Fleming Douglas, now of Waihao Downs
estate.
He contracted a second marriage, in 1893, with a
daughter of Mr. David Stark, of Dunedin, and the family by this
union consists of one son, born in 1895, and one daughter, born in
1898.
Mr. Douglas died at Mount Royal on the 12th of August,
1903.
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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