By: Nigel Smith28th Apr 2023 12:44AMThe Smith of Smith & Co. who ran the Hokitika and Kaniere tramway was William Smith, the brother of my great, great, grandfather Joseph Smith.

He was originally from Carlisle, in Cumbria (then Cumberland), England, the son of a master shoemaker. He emigrated to New Zealand in about 1858 at the age of 21 to seek his fortune, and built up a successful contracting company. As well as managing the contract for the tramway William also owned the Terminus Hotel at Kaniere, which he put up for auction in 1874 along with all its land, fixtures, fittings and stock, including a hive of bees and a number of pigs and Brahma fowl, along with his half-share in the Kaniere Punt Ferry. The auction, advertised in the West Coast Times on 1st September 1874, took place at the Terminus Hotel on the 10th September.

The main reason for relinquishing the contract and selling up in 1874 was that he had been awarded two major new contracts a little further north, one for the construction of a large section of the Waimea Water Race and another for the building of the Westport Railway Station and the laying of railway tracks and construction of sidings.

It is my understanding that most of the work his company were responsible for for the rest of his life was in railway engineering and construction. For a three year period from March 1879, my great great grandfather Joseph Smith went to New Zealand to look after William's business in order that William could return to his native Carlisle for a period of time to visit family who he hadn't seen in over 20 years, including his father, who died whilst Joseph was in New Zealand.

I have so far been unable to establish exactly when or where William died or where his final resting place might be (I live in Liverpool UK) so if anyone has any further information about him I would be fascinated to hear it!