JOHNSTON, WILLIAM (1825-91) was born at Moffat Water, Dumfriesshire, and came to Otago in 1857. He accompanied J. MacGibbon to Southland and worked on a run at Hokonui. In 1859 he took up land at One Tree Point, and eventually settled on a property at Wreys Bush, Southland, which he greatly improved. He was an expert judge of sheep.

Johnston is said as early as 1858 to have transported to Invercargill by bullock sledge half a ton of cheese made by himself and his wife. He represented Roslyn in the Southland Provincial Council (1864-69), and Waihopai (1869-70). For a few weeks in 1869 he was speaker. After the reunion with Otago he represented Southland for a few months in the Otago Provincial Council. He was a member, and sometime chairman, of the Wallace county council, and was a candidate for the Wallace parliamentary seat in 1890, but withdrew at a late stage. Johnston died on 15 Jul 1891.

Southland Times, 17 Jul 1891; J. P. Young in Otago Daily Times, 25 Apr 1895.

Reference: Volume 1, page 237

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