Surveyor - Canterbury, New Zealand 1850s

Samuel Hewlings

Reference:  The Pioneer Land Surveyors of New Zealand

Samuel Hewlings was born in Wallingford, Berkshire in 1820 and trained as a surveyor in England. Hewlings and Thomas Cass came to New Zealand with C.W. Ligar who had been appointed Surveyor general for the colony in place of Felton. They sailed from Portsmouth on 21st April, 1841, in the New Zealand Company's ship, Prince Rupert. This ship was wrecked on September 4th near Robben Island, Capetown, with the loss of one life. Some of the survivors remained in Cape Colony and the rest came on to New Zealand in the brig Antilla, which arrived at Wellington on 8th December and Auckland on 24 December 1841. On board was William Spain (English lawyer, appointed Land Claims Commissioner) and Charles Ligar (Surveyor General).

Hewlings assisted in the surveyors at Auckland and the Bay of Islands. In September, 1849 he undertook contract surveys for the commencement of the Canterbury Settlement directed by Captain Joseph Thomas. He surveyed the Heathcote River and part of the Christchurch district. Subsequently he was engaged in surveying the rural sections throughout the Canterbury Associations territory.

On September 1854, he accepted a position on the survey staff of the Canterbury Provincial Government, working under Thomas Cass, Chief Surveyor, who instructed him to commence the triangulation and topographical surveys of South Canterbury i.e. the territory southwards from the Rangitata River. In 1854 Alfred Cox acquired Raukapuka station on the eastern bank of the Waihi River. In the same year the surveyor Samuel Hewlings arrived, with instructions to survey the country at Talbot Forest and to "get up" a small hut "on what may probably be the future site of a town". Hewlings obediently "got up" his small hut, of totara slab walls and rush-thatched roof, and around the "Bark Hut" the township grew as sawmillers came to level Talbot Forest to the ground. The hut, the first in Geraldine, later served as Road Board offices and then as the town's first school. A totara tree planted by Hewlings beside his hut to mark the birth of his daughter, the first child of European descent to be born in the Geraldine district, still flourishes. The tree and a commemorative plaque stand in Talbot St opposite the police station.

In September, 1858, Hewlings resigned from the Government service to join Edward Jollie in partnership as contract surveyors working for the Provincial Government. In 1863 they laid out the town of Arowhenua (later renamed Temuka). Hewlings had purchased adjoining land and subdivided it, naming the township Wallingford after his birthplace. Today Wallingford is the business centre of Temuka. In 1862 trigonmetrical surveys and topographical surveys were continued from Pareora to the Orari River, extending six miles inland. The work was undertaken by Hewlings assisted by Charles R. Shaw and Robert Townsend. the purpose of the survey was to define grazing runs. The work was based on magnetic meridian and consequently much revision was necessary at a later date. In 1862 the work was extended to embrace the whole coastline between the Rangitata and Waitaki Rivers and a depth inland of eight miles. Hewlings made his headquarters at Timaru where he took a leading part in the development of the town which became a borough on 13th July 1868. A Town Council had been elected in 1865 and functioned under a Chairman (Hewlings) who became the first Mayor when the Borough was incorporated. Hewlings succeeded Thomas Cass as Chief Surveyor for Canterbury on 1st September, 1871 and retired from Government service at the end of 1876.

Timaru Herald, 27 February 1896, Page 4 Obit- last paragraph
He afterwards lived m comparative retirement, and for a considerable, time previous to his death was m failing health. His death,' however, came rather suddenly^ and a few days ago he was able to walk out m the streets. His wife died about seven years ago, and he leaves one daughter. His remains were brought down to Timaru yesterday for interment, and a few old official and private friends accompanied them. Old identities of Timaru attended, but the funeral was not a large one.

South Canterbury NZGenWeb Project

Prince Rupert  - ran aground in Table Bay on 5th September 1841. Four crew members from another ship the Bucephalus together with a passenger from the doomed Prince Rupert were drowned trying to save emigrants.

Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand
Record Title : Shaw, Charles Reginald 1829-1906
Personal records Diaries, 2 folders (172 leaves)
Display Dates : 1866-1872
Reference Number : MS-Papers-3803. Copy held at MS-1934
Shaw came to NZ in 1853. He was a surveyor living in Timaru. Shaw's diary covers the period 10 Dec. 1866 to 5 August 1872. The brief daily entries describe the land he surveyed (the number of acres and the owner), and his activities around his home (gardening, maintenance of the house and furniture, and paying for household purchases). He also records information relating to the health and recreation of his wife and children.