HURSTHOUSE, RICHMOND (1845-1902) was born in New Plymouth (the son of John Hursthouse, who arrived in 1842). Owing to the outbreak of the Maori war he was taken by his parents to Nelson, and his education was limited to one year at the Bishop's School there. At the age of 19 Hursthouse was with a survey party which laid out the town of Westport. He then returned to New Plymouth and served for two years in the Bush Rangers under his kinsman Harry Atkinson. In 1868 he visited the Thames goldfields and afterwards spent three years in engineering works in Melbourne. He was fairly successful at the Gulgong rush in 1871, and returned to New Zealand for the Green Hill rush at Coromandel. This was disappointing, and he returned to live in Nelson.

Hursthouse was elected to Parliament in 1876 by the Motueka constituency, which he represented for 11 years. He contested the Nelson seat (1899) and Egmont (1902). Hursthouse was farming until 1893, and thereafter was manager of the Australasian Gold Trust and Pioneer Co.'s works at West Wanganui. For many years he was a member of the land board and education board, and he was the first mayor of Motueka (1900). He died on 11 Nov 1902. His wife, a daughter of Edward Fearon, died on 1 Sep 1901.

Cycl. N.Z., v; Parltry Record; Nicholls; The Colonist and Taranaki Herald, 12 Nov 1902. Portrait: Taranaki Hist. Coll.

Reference: Volume 1, page 228

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