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Samuel Revans, New Zealand's first commercial printer and newspaper proprietor, was born probably in 1807 or 1808, third of the six children of John Revans, a surgeon of Kennington, London, England, and his wife,…

Hans Heinrich Suter, known in New Zealand as Henry Suter, was born on 9 March 1841 near Zürich, Switzerland. He was the son of Heinrich Suter, a silk manufacturer, and his wife, Susanna Mahler. After training in Zürich…

David Teviotdale was born at Hyde, Otago, on 17 June 1870, the son of Alexander Teviotdale and his wife, Mary Ann Caldwell. His Scottish father had followed the goldrush from Australia to Otago in 1862. After acquiring…

Charles Andrew Cotton, born in Dunedin on 24 February 1885, was the only son of Scottish-born Margaret Thomson McCallum and her husband, Charles Henry Cotton, a Cornish mariner. His parents had met while sailing to New…

David Alexander Cecil Low earned world fame, and the particular hatred of Adolf Hitler, in the years leading up to the Second World War for his cartoons attacking European fascism and the Nazi regime. Born in Dunedin on…

Charles Southwell was born in London, England, in 1814, the only child of Fanny Southwell and her husband, a workman at Broadwood's pianoforte factory, whose name is unknown. Charles had 32 siblings, children of his…

Thomas Frederick Cheeseman was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England, on 8 June 1845, one of five children of Eliza Cawkwell and her husband, Thomas Cheeseman, a Methodist minister. The family emigrated to Auckland, New…

Esmond Allen Gibson was born in Wellington on 7 August 1896, the son of Arthur Henry Gibson, a lawyer, and his wife, Annie Ellen Chew. He was educated at Wellington College, Victoria University College, and Canterbury…

Pérrine Millais was born in London, England, on 8 February 1893, the daughter of Mary St Lawrence Hope-Vere and her husband, Everett Millais, a medical student at the time who died in 1897. Her paternal grandparents…

Eliza Amy Campbell was born at Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay, on 10 October 1888, the fourth child of Hugh Campbell, a station manager, and his wife, Amy Allott. Amy died in 1890, and Hugh married her younger sister,…

Hugh William Segar was born at Liverpool, England, on 31 January 1868, the son of Robert Segar, a journeyman baker, and his wife, Sarah Liddy (née Hughes). He was educated at Liverpool Collegiate Institution. At 16…

Gerald Stokell was born on 20 June 1890 at Prebbleton, south of Christchurch, the son of Edmund Stokell, a farmer, and his wife, Jane Eliza Pasche. His whole life was spent at Prebbleton, where he lived in the family…

Archibald Dudingston Willis was born on 20 June 1842 at London, England, the son of Matilda Wills and her husband, John Willis, who died soon after Archibald's birth. At the age of 12 he was employed by a prominent firm…

George Bell was born at Hull, Yorkshire, England, on 9 January 1809, the son of John Bell, a customs landing waiter, and his wife, Hannah Armitage. Until the age of eight George was educated at home by his mother, and…

Greta Barbara Stevenson was born on 10 June 1911 in Auckland, the eldest of four children of William Stevenson, a clerk, and his wife, Grace Mary Scott. In 1914 the family moved from Auckland to Dunedin, where Greta's…

Thomas Brown (known as Broun) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 15 July 1838, the son of John Brown, a soldier, and his wife, Margaret Stewart. Both his father and an uncle were naturalists of considerable repute.…

John Carruthers was born at Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland, on 21 June 1836, the son of Janet Roberts and her husband, Robert Carruthers, editor and proprietor of the Inverness Courier and author of works on…

George Gould was born at Christchurch on 6 April 1865, the son of George Gould and his second wife, Elizabeth Lewis. His father, one of the Canterbury pioneers of 1850, was a leading landowner and businessman, and a…

Arthur Desmond was unknown to the electors of Hawke's Bay when he stood for Parliament in 1884. 'We only know that Mr Desmond is a cattle-drover, and that he is of Radical tendencies', the editor of the Hawke's Bay…

Samuel McDonald Martin was born probably in Kilmuir, Trotternish, Isle of Skye, Scotland, some time between 1805 and 1810. He was the son of Mary Nicholson and her husband, John Martin, a doctor. Samuel Martin graduated…