Charles Wilson Hursthouse
| Charles Wilson Hursthouse | |
|---|---|
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|
| Born |
26 June 1841 Norwich, England |
| Died | 25 February 1911 (aged 69) Lower Hutt, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Surveyor, public servant, politician, and soldier |
| Known for | Chief engineer of the Department for Road Works |
| Notable work | Survey of North Island Main Trunk railway through the King Country |
| Children | Rangimarie Hetet |
| Relatives |
Richmond Hursthouse (brother) Diggeress Te Kanawa (granddaughter) Rangi Hetet (great-grandson) Veranoa Hetet (gt-gt-granddaughter) Henry Robert Richmond (cousin) William Richmond (cousin) Jane Maria Atkinson (cousin) James Crowe Richmond (cousin) Percy Smith (cousin) |
Charles Wilson Hursthouse (26 June 1841 – 25 February 1911), also known by his Māori name Wirihana, was an English-born New Zealand surveyor, public servant, politician, and soldier. He laid out part of the North Island Main Trunk railway through the King Country.
Hursthouse was born in 1841 in Norwich, England. His parents were John Hursthouse (1811–1860) and Helen, née Wilson (1803–1895). His parents and other family members (his father's brother, Charles Hursthouse, and a cousin, Thomas Newsham, and their families) came to New Zealand on the Thomas Sparks; they arrived in Wellington on 31 January 1843. John Hursthouse and family proceeded to New Plymouth, where Charles Hursthouse received his education.
In 1855, Hursthouse joined the survey department as a cadet, being promoted to assistant surveyor in 1857. He was sent to undertake the Waitara survey after land there got confiscated, but the situation escalated into the First Taranaki War. Hursthouse participated in the First and Second Taranaki War until 1864, and was present at the Battle of Waireka and at Mahoetahi. In 1866, he was made an ensign of the Military Settlers; in 1869, he was promoted to lieutenant of the Taranaki militia; and in 1881, he was promoted to captain of the New Zealand militia. He retired from the militia in 1905.
Hursthouse represented the Grey and Bell electorate on the fourth and fifth Taranaki Provincial Council from 25 September 1868 to 10 February 1870.
In 1871, Hursthouse was appointed by Taranaki Province as a surveyor in their public works department. In 1875, he was promoted to resident engineer, based in New Plymouth. In 1880, he was surveying roads to Parihaka and in November 1880, he was present at the invasion of Parihaka. In late 1882 and early 1883, he accompanied the Minister of Native Affairs, John Bryce, to Kāwhia and the King Country, and was present at Mangaorongo when Te Kooti was pardoned.
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