HIRST, HENRY (1838-1911) was born at Huddersfield, Yorkshire, and educated at Huddersfield College. Coming to New Zealand by the Agra (1858), he settled in Otago, but soon removed to Southland and took up land at Te Anau and Manapouri. Having accompanied Captain Watts-Russell (q.v.) to prospect for grazing land at Breaksea Sound, he established a butchery at Riverton, and once drove a mob of cattle from there to Gabriel's Gully (1861).

Later he took up a run at Orepuki, and when it was resumed for gold mining purposes he bought a freehold property.

In 1877 he was elected to the Wallace county council, of which he was a member until his death, and chairman (1877-85). In 1879 Hirst was elected M.H.R. for Wallace (defeating J. P. Joyce), but he was defeated in 1884 and 1887. He strongly advocated the Riverton railway. As a young man he was a good cricketer and captained the Riverton club. He married (1860) a daughter of William Dallas. Hirst died on 14 Dec 1911.

N.Z.P.D., 27 Jun 1912; Southland Times, 15 Dec 1911; Otago Daily Times, 5 Dec 1900. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 212

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