MURRAY, ROBERT (1820-1908) was born on his father's farm near Dornoch, Sutherlandshire, brought up as a carpenter, and followed his trade in Scotland and England. In 1841 he saw the Highland emigrants leaving Brora to join the Blenheim for New Zealand. In 1849 he came to Otago in the Cornwall. He worked at his trade in Dunedin, Taieri and Tokomairiro until 1855, when he bought a farm at Clarksville, the area of which he later increased to 600 acres. There he farmed till 1895, when he sold the farm and resided in Milton.

Murray was elected to the Otago Provincial Council for Tokomairiro in 1867, and sat till 1870. He was a member of the Tokomairiro road board for some years; of the Bruce county council from 1878; and of the first school committee elected under the education ordinance of 1856. Of this he was chairman in 1874 and 1883. He was an elder of the Presbyterian Church, and was a member of the building committee of the new church. Murray married (1862) Mary Esson, of Aberdeenshire, and after her death Mary Jamieson. He died on 16 Nov 1908.

Otago P.C. Proc.; Cycl. N.Z., iv (p); Alexander Brown; Scholefield, Tokomairiro Dist. High School; J. A. Thomson; Milton Mirror and Bruce Herald, Nov 1908.

Reference: Volume 2, page 58

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