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Biography: Deans, John and Deans, William

Sketch of the first home of brothers William Deans and John Deans at Potoringamotu, Canterbury

Sketch of the first home of brothers William Deans and John Deans at Potoringamotu, Canterbury

In 1843 William Deans and his brother John Deans took up residence at Putaringamotu or Potoringamotu (later Riccarton). This was near the Ōtākaro (later Avon) River, and established a farm and sheep run.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: A-195-017

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

How to cite this page

Graham M. Miller. 'Deans, John and Deans, William', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990, updated February 2006. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/653/sketch-of-the-first-home-of-brothers-william-deans-and-john-deans-at-potoringamotu (accessed 4 June 2026).