101 YEARS OF AGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 152, 15 July 1937, Page 8

101 YEARS OF AGE

Press Associauon.} ,

Wellington Pioneer Has Never Smoked or Drunk NEVER DANCED IN HIS LIFE

(By Telegrapb—

WELLINGTON, This Day. Older than the city of Wellington and perhaps the oklcst living pioneer in New Zealand, Mr John Knmister, 23 Cottlevillo Terrace, celobrated his oue hundred and first birthday yesterday by a small family gathering at his residence. Considering his age, Mr | Kilmister is remarkably well, but the i years have taken toll of 'his hearing and his memory. Nevertheless, he is able to walk and is still a fairly active man. He was born at Bath, England, and was five years old when he arrived at. Lyttelton on March 17, 1841, with his parents in the ship Lady Nugent. His first liome in the colony was in barracks on the old foreshore of Wellington. Then his father built a mud and slab kut at the top of Bolton street, and after a few years the family moved to the Hutt Valley. A flood destroyed a lot of their property, so they moved back again to Wellington and built a liouse on The Terrace. When he was -22 Mr Kilmister was attracted to Gabriel's Gully by reports of gold finds, but he had little luck. When he at last made his way back to Wellington after working on a sheep station, he married Sarah Ann Judd, a member of a family who arrived in New Zealand in 1840. She had a sister who is believed to have been the first white girl born in Wellington. He then bought a farm — Skv Parm — behind the Karori Cemetery, and paid 10/- an acre for the 750 acres. Mr and Mrs Kilmister had 10 children who were brougkt up on this farm. When the eldest boys were able to take over the property, the parents retired to live in Wellington. His father and mother, who were aged 96 and 94 respectively, died on tho same day, in 1904^ and his wife died in November, 1931, at tho age of 88. Mr Kilmister was never photographed until his ninety-sixth -birthday, and has never danced in his life. Neither has he smoked nor taken liquor, and he has never attended a picture ishow.