Hugh Cassidy bwith three of his whips (drivers), from left to right - Jack Rountree, Harry Campbell, Hugh Cassidy and William Campbell .1894.

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DescriptionOne thing you could say about Irish born Hugh Cassidy (1840 - 1922) is that whatever he put his heart too, he jumped in with both feet.

Hugh first arrived in New Zealand in December 1864. He only had gold on his mind, having spend sometime in the goldfields of Australia. He first tried his luck in Otago before heading to the West Coast. He can’t have been in Otago long as on the 28/11/1865 he married Sarah Clarke (d. 1872) on the coast. In Waimea he operated a store which included a post office and then he became the publican of the ‘Australasian Hotel’ in Hokitika. He even served the region as a councillor for the ‘Hokitika Borough Council’.

By the early 1870’s Hugh had moved his life to Springfield, Canterbury. He had been driving coaches between Christchurch and Hokitika for about a year when he secured a contract that would secure his place in our history - the royal mail run between the coasts. His firm became known as ‘Cassidy & Co’ and in his heyday, he owned 100 horses with 70 in active service at one time. He became known as ‘Mr. Cobb’ due to him using Cobb & Co coaches.

In 1878, now with quite a staff of ‘whips’ (drivers), Hugh returned to a publican’s life with taking over the licenses of the ‘Kowai Pass Hotel’ and the ‘Springfield Hotel’. During this time Hugh took an active interest in town life around him, getting involved with the ‘Kowai Pass Sports Committee’, the ‘Kowai Pass Jockey Club’ and he became a committee member/judge of the ‘Canterbury Agricultural & Pastoral Association’. He even poured his own money into establishing a Roman Catholic Church for Springfield.

Hugh then took up farming, after he gave up the hotel life. His place was named ‘Bushey Park’. In between owning race horses and transporting cattle into Christchurch, Hugh faced all the hassles of the trade, fined over wandering hoof stock and unregistered dogs. But he was a much admired local, called to give a character reference for friend William Frederick Ryan when he pleaded guilty of horse theft. Hugh said that William was a good man but had been drinking too much at the time of the crime. He also served as the Justice of the Peace during the inquest of Joseph Petrie who died during an avalanche on Mt. Torlesse. And when the company who made ‘Cottle’s Colonial Cure’ was looking for recommendations for their horse tonic, they quoted Hugh saying, “It is admirably adapted to cure harness rash, wounds & bruises.”

Around 1910, with the railway now mostly transporting people, mail and other cargo between the two coasts, Hugh began to auction off bits and pieces of his coaching equipment. It hadn’t been the easiest of trades, Hugh having to go to court over accidents, damages, money issues and even deaths of passengers. Good or bad, this amazing career as a coach proprietor is remembered in the naming of Arthur’s Pass’ Mt. Cassidy.

Hugh died on the 21/6/1922 at ‘Bushey Park’, Springfield after an illness. He was 82 years old. His body was taken back to the West Coast and he was buried at the ‘Hokitika Municipal Cemetery’.

Here is Hugh with three of his whips (drivers), from left to right - Jack Rountree, Harry Campbell, Hugh Cassidy and William Campbell - photo taken in 1894. See less

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EventHugh Caddidy, Hokitika Borough Council

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Hugh Cassidy bwith three of his whips (drivers), from left to right - Jack Rountree, Harry Campbell, Hugh Cassidy and William Campbell .1894.

Editing is temporarily disabled