ORMISTON, WILLIAM (1824-74) was born in Glasgow, and claimed descent from Gospatric, first sheriff of Roxburghshire (1100 A.D.), and from Sir James Ormiston, who was attainted for the murder of Darnley. Ormiston received a good education in Glasgow, and went into business in that town. In 1859, leaving his family in Cornwall, he sailed for New Zealand in the Swordfish, which stranded on Hobson Point the day of her arrival in Auckland (11 Jul). A week later Ormiston sailed in the cutter Clyde for Whangarei with the intention of taking up land. He eventually took a section on the Mangapai river. There he was joined by his wife and family, who arrived by the Ida Zeigler (1861), but during the Hauhau rising moved to Auckland. Ormiston was greatly interested in the Maori people, became well acquainted with their language and customs, and championed their rights in later years with some success. He was instrumental in having three schools started in his district. He was chairman of the Mangapai road board, a member of the school and church committees, and acted in an honorary capacity as medical adviser of both Maori and pakeha. He dressed a large quantity of flax and ground local wheat into flour in small mills of his own.

Taking a great interest in politics, Ormiston at an early date condemned the weakness of the provincial system and advocated constitutional changes. He was keenly interested in the preservation of the bush and wrote to the press from 1868 onwards drawing attention to the destruction of forest for purposes of export since 1853. In 1869 he assisted in the election of Gillies as Superintendent and in 1873-74 he represented Mangapai in the Provincial Council. Ormiston was for some years a close friend of Busby (q.v.) and assisted him in presenting his case for parliamentary consideration. He died on 14 Dec 1874 of erysipelas contracted while attending a native chief.

Auckland P.C. Proc.; information from E. N. Ormiston; papers in Auckland Public Library.

Reference: Volume 2, page 72

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