BRUCE, THOMAS WHILLIANS (1832-1908) was born at Jedburgh, Scotland, educated there and commenced farming. In 1859 he came to New Zealand in the Indiana and for some years managed the Motunau estate in north Canterbury. About 1868, with John Macfarlane, he bought Cora Lynn, on the Waimakariri river, and in 1870 bought out his partner. Adding Riversdale, across the river, he ran altogether about 17,000 sheep. Another property which he owned was Inchbonnie, on the West Coast road, beyond Arthur's Pass. About 1890 his Canterbury estates fell into the hands of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. and he moved to Inchbonnie in 1893. In Canterbury he was chairman for many years of the Upper Waimakariri road board, which during his term erected a bridge over that river and another over the Poulter. Inchbonnie was an estate of 6,000 acres and Bruce had also a run of 13,000 acres at the Otira. He died in 1908.

Who's Who N.Z., 1908; Acland; Cycl. N.Z., v

Reference: Volume 1, page 70

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