Mr Horace Bastings

Horace Bastings, at times referred to as the ’Father of Lawrence’, was elected Mayor of the historic first council of Tuapeka in 1866, a position he worthily held for six years. He stayed committed to the governance of the district being a councilor from 1877-79, Chairman in 1877, sitting on the Otago Provincial Council, and also being the Member of the House of Representatives for the Waikaia electorate from 1875.

Born in London in 1831, emigrating to Victoria in 1849, he came to NZ in 1862, a man of strong personality, an able and energetic businessman and entrepreneur.

In 1868 he brought Danish brewer Johannes Thorsen Kofoed from Victoria, and together they leased the Black Horse Brewery, purchasing it outright for £350 in 1869 due to some success.

At this time Bastings applied to buy the land freehold, but was refused as it was part of the mining reserve. Stipulations on finding the area non-auriferous, plus the consent of the Goldfields Warden were met, and the title for three acres was purchased in October 1869. Bastings sold out his shares for £2,686 18s 6d in 1874 to William Hayes, who built the first bridge across the mighty Clutha at Beaumont.

Bastings owned the Commercial Hotel & Stables and in 1876 bought the South Island interest in Cobb & Co, which with the coming of the Railway in 1878 he sold to Hugh Craig & co, of which he remained a part as senior partner in Bastings, Leary & co, auctioneers and financial agents.

He was an integral part in forming the Tuapeka Jockey Club, becoming the first president in 1867.

He was a man of talent & resource, dying in Auckland in 1909 at the age of 79.

The town site at Raes Junction was officially designated “Bastings”, although unfortunately his name is not fittingly perpetuated in Lawrence.