GEORGE, JOHN REES (1841-89) was the son of a solicitor and was born at Lewisham, London. He entered the office of a London tea merchant but, having mechanical tendencies, joined the firm of Kennards, railway contractors. At the age of 20 he was in charge of a contract in Portugal and in 1865 he came to New Zealand under engagement to the Wellington provincial government, for whom he carried out an extension of the Queen's wharf and constructed the patent slip and the Wanganui bridge. He was manager of the Patent Slip Co. and the first Wellington Gas Co. and managing director of the Wellington Trust and Loan Co. till his death (on 26 Jun 1889). George was a member of the Wellington City Council (1874-78) and of the harbour board (1889) and chairman of the chamber of commerce (1882).

N.Z. Times, 11 Jul 1889

Reference: Volume 1, page 162

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