ROUGH, DAVID (1815-99), after several voyages to the East came in 1839 from India to Sydney. He was present in Apr 1840 when Captain Hobson landed at Paihia, Bay of Islands. In Jun 1840, in the cutter Ranger, he accompanied the Governor to the Waitemata, where he took exhaustive soundings of the harbour before the site of Auckland was fixed. He was present at the sale by the natives, and was appointed harbourmaster of the new port (May 1841) and immigration officer (1842). He married Miss Ellen Short (d. 1894), governess to the Hobson family. In 1843, in the brig Ariel, he took a force to Big Mercury Bay and recaptured the brig Hannah Kirk from a piratical band. Rough's meteorological observations are embodied in Dieffenbach's book on New Zealand. He was superintendent of works under the FitzRoy administration (1844), and made some important journeys to the Hot Lakes and the Waikato district on official business. His account of these travels was published by the S.P.C.K. in 1851.

In 1848 Rough accompanied Sir George Grey on his visit to the South Island in H.M.S. Inflexible. In 1856 he was appointed collector of customs at Nelson and in 1868 he retired. He was also chairman of the education board. In 1874 he was deputy-superintendent of the province. He lived thereafter mostly in England. He made interesting gifts to Auckland Museum in 1893. His death occurred on 22 Apr 1899.

N.Z. Gaz., 1841-56; Nelson P.C. Proc. and Gaz., 1856-74; Scholefield, Hobson; N.Z. Herald, 11, 18, 25 Jan 1896, 9 Jun 1899; Colonist Jubilee Souvenir.

Reference: Volume 2, page 133

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