SMITH, WILLIAM MEIN (1798-1869) was born at Cape Town, the son of William Proctor Smith, of the Admiralty. He joined the army as a cadet in 1813 and was promoted as follows: Second-lieutenant, Royal Artillery 1822; first lieutenant 1827; second captain 1839. While serving in Canada he married (in 1828) Louisa, daughter of General Basgrove Wallace. He served later at Woolwich and Gibraltar.

Smith was a capable artist and made many sketches while serving in Gibraltar, besides collecting shells for the Geographical Society. In 1833 he was appointed master of plan-drawing at Woolwich, and he was still employed as a professor at the Royal Military Academy when he was appointed surveyor-general to the New Zealand Company (1839). He sailed in the Cuba with three surveyors (Carrington, Park and Stokes) and arrived at Port Nicholson on 3 Jan 1840. Having examined Lambton harbour, Smith preferred the Petone site (where he had been instructed to survey for a town), because there was ample room. This decision was reversed in consequence of a flood at Petone. He commenced accordingly to survey a town site at Thorndon, and submitted plans on 20 Jul.

Smith was a member of the provisional committee at Wellington for maintaining order (18 Apr 1840). In Aug 1841 he was gazetted a magistrate of the territory, and in Sep he proceeded to Wanganui to superintend the selection of lands there. He retired on half-pay (1842) and sold his commission (1843). After the termination of his appointment Colonel Wakefield sent him to report on the harbours of the South Island. He afterwards partly surveyed the Wairarapa and laid out the town of Featherston. In the native hostilities of 1845 Smith was captain of the Thorndon militia district, and he had command of a battery of three guns on Clay point. Later, with S Revans, he took up Huangarua station in south Wairarapa, which they worked together until 1869. Smith was a member of the Legislative Council of New Zealand in 1851, and in 1858 he was elected to represent Wairarapa in the Wellington Provincial Council, from which he retired in 1865.

He was a scholarly gentleman of simple tastes, quiet and unobtrusive and keenly interested in mathematics, art and natural science. He died on 3 Jan 1869.

WO, list of R.A. Officers, and 42-42-322; NZ.C., 1840-43, 1849, 1850; Bidwill; E J Wakefield; Ward; Marais; W. Lawrence (information); Wellington Independent, 5 Jan 1869.

Reference: Volume 2, page 160

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