1901 The 61st anniversary celebration of the arrival of the brig Magnet
in Waikouaiti Bay - a vessel chartered by Mr John Jones to bring over to
Waikouaiti 12 men, with their wives and families, to engage in farming and other
pursuits.
Passengers by the Magnet
The brig Magnet arrived off Waikouaiti Bay on the 16th of March 1840. Her
passengers, who were in charge of Mr T. Jones (brother of Mr John Jones), were as
follows:-
Thomas Jones, wife, daughter and son.
David and Hannah Carey and daughter
Joseph Beal, wife and daughter
Thomas Pascoe, wife and son
Thomas Hawkins and wife
William Kennard, wife, two daughters and son. (Mrs Eliza Burns (Kennard)
Woodlands
William Stirling and wife
William Trotter
Benjamin Coleman, wife and two daughters
William Coleman and wife
John Fullar, wife and son
George Glover, wife, son and daughter
Fred Prior and wife
Of the 38 passengers on the Magnet only eight now remain. They are
Mrs Beal and her daughter Annie (Mrs E.W. Dunlen (Annie Durden) ), Waikouaiti.
Mrs Kennard (Palmerston), her daughter Eliza (Mrs Edward Burns, Gorse) and her
son William, now a resident at Waimate.
Mrs Mary Williams (Miss Carey, afterwards Mrs Benjamin Coleman), now a resident
at Port Chalmers.
Mrs Wolseley (Wolsey) (Miss Mary Coleman), of Port Chalmers
Mrs Shanks (Miss Phoebe Coleman), of Port Chalmers.
Before coming to Waikouaiti in 1840 the Magnet, Captain James Bruce, made a
voyage from Sydney to Piraki in 1830. The brig was afterwards wrecked in a bay
to the south of Piraki, Akaroa, now known as Magnet Bay. After the loss of the
Magnet, Captain Bruce became the owner of a cutter, The Brothers,
of 30 tons, and made several trips to Sydney, carrying oil, whalebone, potatoes
and flax. The Brothers, was afterwards, when fully loaded capsized
off Lucas Bay, a squall striking her while anchored with the mainsail up. A
Maori woman and two children who were in the cabin drowned, and the craft and
cargo lost. Captain Bruce afterwards went into the hotel line.
Other early Arrivals
Names taken from the register kept by the first Wesleyan missionaries:
Edwin Palmer
James Stanton
Simon McKenzie
Patrick Burke
Pohn Philipin
Dr Joseph Crocume
Wiliam Jones
Edward Jones
James Edward Lloyd
James Hood
Robert Pack
William Isaac Haberfield
Donald Ross
William McLaughlan
Richard Sizemore
Thomas Chasland
William Harper
Elisha Apes
Thomas Tandy
Stepghen Smith (Murpgy)
From the Otago Witness online on the 
site.
Waikouaiti
in the Early Days.
Otago Witness March 26 1902 pg 13
62nd Anniversary of the settlement of Waikouaiti and 2nd annual reunion.
The Mayor, Mr T. Allock presided, referred to the deaths of Mrs Hosie and Messrs
W. Heckler and B. Bray. Joseph Beale is now 85 years.
Otago Witness, 3 January 1906, Page 49
The last but one of the original white settlers of Otago passed peacefully to
her rest on Sunday morning, 24th ult., in the person of Mrs Mary Williams,
relict of Captain Peter Williams, formerly a prominent resident of Port
Chalmers. Mrs Williams, who was formerly Mrs Benjamin Coleman, arrived with her
husband, her brother (the late Mr David Carey) and his wife at Sydney in the
ship Coromandel from London in the year 1837. After a short sojourn at
Sydney she and her husband and some relatives entered into an engagement with
the late Mr John Jones and came to Waikouaiti in the barque Magnet.
After staying there for some time they came on to Port Chalmers. Messrs Coleman
and Carey were the first white females to reside there, and to them may be
ascribed the credit of founding the Wesleyan Church, the timbers for the
erection of which were cut by Mr Carey. The deceased's first husband (Mr B.
Coleman) was unfortunately drowned, and she afterwards married Captain Williams.
For the last 20 years Mrs Williams was, unfortunately, confined to her room,
where she was lovingly attended by her daughters Mesdames McKinlay, Woolsey,
Shanks, and Smythe (of Port Chalmers), Haynes (of Christchurch), Stumbles (of
Timaru), and W. H. S. Roberts (of Oamaru). She leaves in addition to these
ladies two son, Mr James Coleman (of Marlborough) and Mr Peter Williams (of
Oamaru). Mrs Williams was for 65 years a resident of Otago. She landed on the
colony eight years before the settlement of Dunedin. There are no less than 62
grandchildren and 68 great-grandchildren of the deceased lady still living. Her
husband, the late Captain Williams, came to Preservation Inlet in 1829, and
settled there for a time, opening a store for the convenience of whalers
visiting the inlet. [9 children, 62 grandchildren, 67 great grandchildren. total
138]
Green are thy hills, Otago, and clear thy winding streams.
And beautiful at sunrise thy lake like harbour gleams.
The yellow corn is waving upon thy fertile plains,
And thousand flocks are roaming upon thy hills and dales.
Prosper Otago, and rule the southern main.