Te Akatarawa Station - Gibson Cemetery 

This little unkempt cemetery has only three headstones and four graves surrounded by large poplar trees and invaded by ivy like ground cover. Really hard to photograph with the shadows and light - had I known I would have taken shade boards and spot lights wrote Bruce. The main grave marker has been amateurishly repaired without repairing the script so it's hard to read and a long inscription on the base is incomprehensible in the light without highlighting it with water.

 
in May 2015 Waitaki Valley, South Canterbury, N.Z.

The cemetery.

Situated above the Te Akatarawa Station cattle yards. This station was combine with Waitangi until about 1870.
1. In memory of Wilson Gibson, third son of Charles Gibson, Esq. of Quernmoore Park, Lancaster, England, died 8th May 1863 aged 40 years; also in memory of Ellen, widow of the above, who died 25th June 1866 aged 38 years. "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm XC. 12. (Tall old headstone)

2. In memory of MARY, relict of the late James Scrymgeour, merchant, Glasgow, who died at Akatarawa June 2nd 1865.Aged 71 years. "God giveth rest."

3. In loving memory of Mary Scrymgeour CURLE born 1889 died 1974. (small modern headstone)

Ellen is listed on the DIA NZ Death index online but Wilson is not.
1866/9190 Gibson Ellen 38Y

North Otago Times, 5 July 1866, Page 2 DIED
On the 25th June, 1866, Ellen, widow of the late Wilson Gibson, Esq., of the Waitangi, aged 38 years.

Bordering Lake Aviemore.

Gibson - a Nelson overlander

Waitangi was first settled by Edmund Gibson in 1858. Gibson, born 24th Sept. 1824, fourth s/o Charles & Jane Elizabeth Gibson. Charles had been the High Sheriff and Lord Lieutenant of Lancaster; the family home was Quernmore Park, Lancaster. His father died in 1832 when he was eight and Quernmore was sold when he was about 18, so he went out to a tea plantation in China, then came to Nelson to farm, where he was burnt out and sold his land. Edmund drove cattle down to Peel Forest which in the mid-1850s, was a staging area, or at least an inspection place for flocks and herds. He was manager of Peel Forest in 1855 and 1856. In 1857 managed Station Peak and rode upstream and found Waitangi and declared it fully stocked on 29 January 1858.

In 1873 Edmund wrote to brother Robert in England. "Keeping the shearers, 16, employed. With fine weather we put through 1,400 a day but generally manage 8,000 a week. I have 27,000 sheep to shear this season and expect a crop of 7 to 8000 lambs... I have two healthy little girls, one nearly three, and one seven months, and if only house servants were more plentiful and better I would not care to live elsewhere." [Pinney pg 284.] Robert died in England in 1874 and his will gave £2500 pounds to his brother Edmund in NZ. Edmund was a member of the Squatters Club in Dunedin.
Etta May Gibson born in NZ in 1871 to Harriet Ann and Edmund Gibson.
________ April 1873 - girl
William Edmund Gibson was born in 1875 to Harriet Anne and Edmund Gibson. 

Oamaru Mail, 6 February 1886, Page 2 Death
Gibson.— On 6th February, at Birchfield, Anderson's Bay, Dunedin, Edmund Gibson, of Waitangi North Station, aged 61. The Funeral will leave Anderson's Bay on Monday at 2 p.m., for the North Dunedin Cemetery.

Oamaru Mail, 6 February 1886, Page 2
In this issue we, with regret, announce the death of Mr Edmund Gibson, of Waitangi Station, at the age of 61 years. Mr Gibson was a very old colonist, having arrived in New Zealand upwards of 30 years ago, and was well known and greatly respected in this district. His death took place at Anderson's Bay, Dunedin, to which place he removed from his station home some time ago, in consequence of serious ill-health.

Otago Daily Times 19 January 1910, Page 4
GIBSON. On January 17, at Timaru, Harriett Ann Gibson, widow of the late Edmund Gibson, of Waitangi Station; aged 70 years. Private interment.

Taranaki Herald, 3 July 1890, Page 2
GIBSON. On March 20th, at Morningside, Lancaster, England, Charlotte, daughter of the late Rev. Robert Gibson, M.A., Vicar of Bolton-le-Sands, Lancaster; granddaughter of the late Charles Gibson, Esq., Quernmore Park, County of Lancaster.

Otago Witness 13 February 1886, Page 17
GIBSON. On the 6th February, at Birchfield, Anderson's Bay, Edmund Gibson, of Waitangi Station, Canterbury, fourth son of the late Charles Gibson, Quernmore Park, Lancaster; in his 62nd year.
DENCH. On the 7th Feb. at her residence, The Cottage, Mansford Town, Port Chalmers, Henrietta, the beloved wife of Mr Henry Dench. [no connection to Waitangi but happens to be in the same death notice column] 

Otago Witness 10 July 1901, Page 51
REID — GIBSON. On 3rd July, at St. Paul's Cathedral, Dunedin, by the Ven. Archdeacon Robinson, Egerton Humphries, sixth son of John Reid, Elderslie, Oamaru, to Nina Hunter Ellis, youngest daughter of the late Edmund Gibson, Waitangi, Canterbury. 

Otago Daily Times 31 January 1910, Page 4 Death
Gibson. On January 17, at Timaru, Harriett Ann Gibson, widow of the late Edmund Gibson, of Waitangi Station; aged 70 years.

Oamaru Mail, 28 January 1916, Page 4 Death.
REID. On the 26th instant, at his residence, Park Lane, Timaru, Egerton Humphries Reid, son of the late John Reid. of Elderslie, aged 40 years. Private interment.

North Otago Times, 27 January 1916, Page 4
The death occurred at Timaru yesterday afternoon of Mr Egerton Humphries Reid, aged 40 years, the seventh son of the late John Reid, of Elderslie. After farming for some time in North Otago, for the last eleven years the late Mr Reid had been a member of the Timaru firm of Messrs Guinness and Le Cren. He was a prominent supporter of racing and the hunt. A year or so ago Mr Held was seriously injured in a motor accident, and he never properly got over the effects. Deceased leaves a widow and two children. [Reid became the lessee for Irishman Creek Station in 1914 but Reid died in 1916 and in 1921 his widow and executors transferred it to C.W.F. Hamilton. PINNEY, Early S. Canterbury Runs] [He had Irishman Station of 23530 acres & 6000 sheep. He sold it as a going concern to Andrew Grant for £13000. Ref. Macdonald Dictionary] [His estate was valued at £7162]

Timaru Herald, 27 January 1916, Page 5
 Mr Egerton Humphries Reid, the seventh son of the late John Reid, of Elderslie, one of the pioneers agriculturists and stock breeders in North Otago and he was born at Eiderslie. After schooling in Scotland and at Christ's College, Christchurch Mr E. H. Reid about 1898 began farming at Ardmore, near Windsor, North Otago. and six or seven years later he relinquished that line of life for a commercial career joining the important Timaru firm of Guinness and LeCren, Ltd. His connection with this firm was severed some twelve or eighteen months ago. Mr Reid leaves a widow and two children. Mrs Reid being a daughter of the late Mr Edward [sic] Gibson, of Waitangi station.

Dominion, 11 December 1907, Page 8
A marriage is arranged, and will shortly take place, between Walter George Howes, son of the late J. C. Howes, of 481 Porchester Terrace, and Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, and Etta May Gibson, daughter of the late Edmund Gibson, of Waitangi, New Zealand, and grand-daughter of the late Charles Gibson, of Quernmore Park, Lancashire.

Evening Post, 2 June 1909, Page 9
In consequence of a recent bereavement in the bridegroom's family, the wedding of Miss Etta May Gibson, eldest daughter of the late Mr. Edmund Gisbon, of Waitangi, New Zealand, and of Mrs. Gibson, and granddaughter of the late Mr. Charles Gibson, of Quernmore Park, Lancashire, was a very quiet ceremony, only near relatives being present. The bridegroom was Lucius Burston Beresford Gubbins, late 13th Hussars, youngest surviving son of the late Mr. Joseph Gubbins, of Kilfrush, Knocklong, County Limerick. The ceremony took place at Knockaney Parish Church on the 15th inst. It was performed by the Rev. William Bourchier, M.A. Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Gubbins intend leaving almost immediately for New Zealand.

The Oamaru Times and Waitaki Reporter  35 20th October 1864 Pg 2. & Otago Witness, 22 October 1864, Page 13 Married
On the 12th instant, at the residence of E. Gibson, Esq., by the Rev A Gifford, Reginald Julius Esq. to Catherine Robertson Cameron, daughter of Robert Cameron, Esq., late of Perth, Scotland.

Gibson's shepherds in 1866. Alexander Milne, Mr. John Campbell, James Thin and Thomas Allison the Hakataramea boundary keeper with Waitangi. Gibson's overseer, Campbell, paid off Milne who had been a shepherd at Waitangi for 18 months. Campbell threatened him with a pistol and for this intimidation Campbell was fined £3 and costs.

Wilson Gibson - not Wilton Gibson. Born 26th April 1823. Edmund's older brother Wilson and his wife Ellen and family lived at Waitangi. Wilson and Ellen are buried in the small Waitangi / Te Akatarawa Station Cemetery 1863-1974, with four graves, near the old Waitangi homestead site and blue gum trees. The first governess, Matilda Hearne, had married the shepherd, Farquhar Macdonald Gunn in 1866. Gunn arrived in 1862 on the "Jura" and went straight to Waitangi. Matilda had arrived in Nelson with a Gibson family member and came straight to Waitangi. Wilson's children's second governess was Harriet Ann Smith, whom Edmund married in 1870.

Children of Ellen and Wilson Gibson;
1852 Gibson NR Ellen Wilson
1853 Gibson NR Ellen Wilson
1863 Gibson Fanny Ellen Wilson
1857 Gibson NR Ellen Wilson
1859 Gibson NR Ellen Wilson

North Otago Times, 30 August 1870, Page 2 Marriage
On the 27th July, at St. Luke's Church, Oamaru, by the Rev. Algernon Gifford, Henry Dawson, Esq., of Ben-Ohau Station, Canterbury, third son of the late William Dawson, Esq., Dunston, Lincolnshire, to Jane Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late Wilson Gibson, Esq., Waitangi, Canterbury.

Children of Jane Elizabeth and Henry DAWSON:
1871 Dawson Sydney Steward  - registered in Oamaru d. British Columbia
1872 Dawson Arthur Henry  - registered in Oamaru
1873 Dawson Frank  - registered in Timaru
1875 Dawson Annie Elizabeth - registered in Foxton
1876 Dawson Frederick William - registered in Foxton
1877 Dawson Nora Ruth - registered in Foxton

Otago Daily Times 3 September 1875, Page 2  Marriage
On 31st August, at Palmerston, by the Rev. E. H. Granger, Thomas Fairrie Denniston to Margaret Isabella, third daughter of the late Wilson Gibson, Esq., of Waitangi.

Otago Daily Times 29 August 1876, Page 2  Marriage
On the 23rd August, at Mr Edmond Gibson's station, Waitangi, by the Rev. Algernon Gifford, Henry, youngest son of the late James Connell, LL.D , Glasgow, to Emily Augusta, fifth daughter of the late Wilson Gibson, Esq.

Nelson Evening Mail, 10 February 1879, Page 2 Married
Burnett — Gibson.— On the 29th January, at St. Luke's Church, Oamaru by the Rev. A. Gifford, James Burnett to Ellen Gibson.  

Ellen Gibson married James Burnett in 1879. Children:
1879 Burnett Ethel Mary
1882 Burnett James Edmund Maurice
1884 Burnett Hubert Gibson
1890 Burnett Noel Fletcher
1892 Burnett Dorothy Alison

BURNETT, NOEL FLETCHER, Private, No. 6/18, Machine Gun Section, 1st Canterbury Infantry Battn. New Zealand Expeditionary Force, s/o of James Burnett. M. Inst. C.E. Chief Engineer, New Zealand Government Railways, by his wife Ellen, dau. of Wilson Gibson, of Waitangi Station, South Canterbury, NZ. edu. Wellington College, Victoria College and Canterbury College (all New Zealand), where he was in his last term at the Engineering School when war broke out; volunteered and enlisted in the Expeditionary Force ; left for Egypt with the main body in Oct. 1914; took part in the repulse of the Turkish attack on the Suez Canal in Feb. 1915; in the landing at the Dardanelles, 25-26 April, and in the great attack on Krithia, where he was severely wounded by a bullet in the lung ; was six weeks in hospital at Alexandria, and was then invalided to England, where he was in various hospitals till Oct. when he rejoined at the Base Camp, Weymouth; went out with a draft, 15 Nov., and returned to the trenches early in Dec. and was shot at Chunock Bair, near Anzac, on the 13th of that month, and died the same day on board the hospital ship Dunluce Castle. Buried at sea between Anzac and Lemnos the same night; His College Professor wrote ; "He was a thoroughly sterling character, and commanded alike the respect and affection of his fellow-students and teachers. It was really his great influence which lead to many College men enlisting after he had set the example. As a power for good and a standard for manliness amongst the students I shall greatly feel his loss.” He was a keen sportsman and athlete, member of his college football fifteen for three years, and secretary of the College Engineering Society.

The cemetery is fenced to keep the cattle out so the headstones are not knocked down.

Evening Post, 20 May 1933, Page 7 Nature's Dress.
"AN AUTUMN SONG"
In a green valley Autumn stood with a crown upon her head;
A very lovely sight was she in a pretty dress of red.
The leaves are painted brown, and red and crimson too:
And who has painted them?
Why, Autumn, of course. She is busy as can be
Making gay coats for leaves on every tree.
"CAMILLE" (10). Newtown.

South Canterbury NZGenWeb Project
Photos taken May 2015 courtesy of Bruce Comfort.