William Gilbert Rees

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Self-portrait from July 1853

William Gilbert Rees (born April 6, 1827 in Derby Farm, Fern Hill , today Haverfordwest , Pembrokeshire , Wales , † October 31, 1898 in Blenheim , New Zealand ) was a British explorer. He and the explorer Nicholas von Tunzelmann were the first Europeans tocolonizethe Wakatipu Basin . Rees is considered the founder of Queenstown .

Life

William Gilbert Rees was on April 6, 1827, the Derby Farm , near Fern Hill in the County of Pembrokeshire , the son of William Lee Rees , a commander of the Royal Navy and his wife Mary Pocock was born and a day later in the village Haroldston St. Issell's baptized which is now called Merlin's Bridge in a southern part of Haverfordwest . Rees received his training at the Royal Naval School in Camberwell a borough of London and then taught at Mount Radford School in Exeter , where he also played on the cricket team for Devonshire .

In 1852 he emigrated to New South Wales , where he worked as a sheep and cattle breeder. In 1858 he returned to England to marry his cousin Frances Rebecca Gilbert (born November 1838) on July 10, 1858. In the same year he returned to New Zealand with his wife and in 1859 began to explore the western unknown part of Otago in the area around Lake Hāwea and Lake Wanaka .

Rees and partners founded a sheep farm on Lake Wakatipu near what is now Queenstown's city ​​center in 1860 . The farm was located near the mouth of the Kawarau River on the site of today's Hilton Hotel. Some historical buildings have been preserved.

Two years later, gold was discovered in the northeast, not far from where he lived . Therefore Rees converted his wool shed into a hotel called “ Queen's Arms ”, which is now known as “ Eichardtts ”. He also provided the gold prospectors and miners with food. Today Rees is considered the founding father of Queenstown .

Rees was a former New Zealand exponent of the sport of cricket after he was born into a family with prominent sports links. He was also a devout Anglican and helped build St. Peter's Church in central Queenstown , which was completed in 1863.

Rees died on October 31, 1898 in Blenheim , New Zealand, and was buried in the Omaka cemetery.

Honors

The Rees River in central Otago is named for Rees , and his statue is on Rees Street, near the city pier. There is a hotel called " The Rees " on Frankton Road in Queenstown that bears his name and a bridge on New Zealand State Highway 6 that is named in his honor.

gallery

  • William Gilbert Rees plaque, Queenstown; 03/25/19.jpg
  • William Gilbert Rees triangle monument; 24.3.19.jpg
  • William Gilbert Rees statue, Queenstown, NZ; 25.3.19.jpg

literature

  • William Jackson Barry : Mr. William Gilbert Rees . In: Past and Present, and Men of the Times . McKee and Gamble , Wellington 1897 (English, online [accessed June 11, 2019]).

Web links

Commons : William Gilbert Rees  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Dillwyn Miles : WG and the Grace connection . In: Western Telegraph . Gannett Company , May 4, 2005, accessed June 11, 2019 .
  2. ^ A b Alan Simpson : Meanwhile in Wales, William Gilbert Rees was born on April 6th, 1827 . The Simpsons of Shotover , August 2007, accessed June 11, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Merlin's Bridge . OpenStreetMap , accessed June 11, 2019 .
  4. ↑ a b Barry : Mr. William Gilbert Rees . In: Past and Present, and Men of the Times . 1897, p.  244 .
  5. ^ William Gilbert Rees . Experience Queenstown , accessed June 11, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Obituary . In: Lyttelton Times . Volume C, Issue 11725 , November 1, 1898 (English, online [accessed June 11, 2019]).
personal data
SURNAME Rees, William Gilbert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British explorer and city founder
DATE OF BIRTH April 6, 1827
PLACE OF BIRTH Derby Farm, Fern Hill, now Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire , Wales
DATE OF DEATH October 31, 1898
Place of death Blenheim , New Zealand