TRAILL, CHARLES (1825-91) was born in Orkney, Scotland; educated partly at Edinburgh University and articled to a lawyer. He came to Australia in 1849 and commenced sheep-farming, but was attracted to the diggings in California (1850). In 1853 he returned to Great Britain, and in 1856 came to Otago. He was in business for some years in Oamaru as Traill, Roxby and Co. On a holiday visit to Stewart Island, he discovered oyster beds and decided to settle there and establish a fish-curing industry (1871). This did not succeed, but he became attached to the locality and bought land on a small island which he named Ulva. There he opened a store and kept a post office. He married Miss Bucholz (d. 1875). Traill had a passion for botany, native bush, and observation in natural history; and he was devoted to the welfare of the Maori people. He died on 26 Nov 1891.

Southland Times, 4 Dec 1891.

Reference: Volume 2, page 200

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