TINLINE, JOHN (1821-1907) was born in Jedburgh, Scotland, educated at the Grammar School there, and spent three years with a firm of solicitors. In 1839 he sailed in the Bengal Merchant for Australia, and joined his brother George at Adelaide. After spending a few months there on the survey staff, he came to New Zealand (Sep 1840), his cousin Robert Waitt being in business in Wellington. He joined Major Durie in a store on Lambton Quay, and in 1842 opened a branch at Nelson (as Waitt and Co.). Sustaining heavy loss by a fire in Wellington he remained at Nelson to wind up the business, and was appointed by Governor FitzRoy clerk of the court, sheriff and native interpreter (1844). He was surveying with Rochfort (1847), laid off reserves at Massacre Bay and witnessed the Waitohi purchase deed (1850). With a Maori he found his way from Nelson to Wairau by the Whangamoa Saddle and the Tinline river. At early race meetings he rode his own horse. In 1852 he left the Government service and shortly afterwards became interested in Marlborough stations, including Fernyhurst (1856), Weld's Hills, Green Hills and Lyndon. Lyndon comprised 80,000 acres (of which 50,000 was freehold), and was eventually sold to D. and A. Macfarlane.

Tinline represented Wairau in the Nelson Provincial Council (1857-58) and Amuri (1859-60). He was chairman of the bench of magistrates, the road board and the school committee, and exerted himself to get the railway extended to Culverden and the telegraph to Waiau. He endowed three scholarships (at Nelson College and the University of New Zealand), and in 1878 presented a park to Jedburgh. Tinline in 1850 brought willow cuttings from St Helena, which he planted in north Canterbury. He died on 26 Feb 1907.

Nelson P.C. Proc.; Cycl. NZ, v (p); NZ. Univ. Calendar; Nelson Coll. Reg.; Acland; Roberts; Buick, Marlborough; The Colonist, 27 Feb 1907; NZ. Herald, 13 Jan 1908.

Reference: Volume 2, page 196

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