David Smith Left the East India Docks, Gravesend, on the Shaw Saville ship the 'Matilda Wattenbach' (later renamed 'Racehorse') on 2 June 1862 arriving in Auckland on 8 September 1862. The Matilda was the first of the Albertlander immigrant ships to arrive in New Zealand.
Land allocation Ak Archives:LS-A 29 BAAZ 4115/1a
Special Settlement Land O.
WR Brame: Agent
No of landholder Quantity Name Grantee Dateof Endorsation Date arrived Ship
134 40 David Smith J.M.C 9 Sep 1862 8 Sep 1862 Matilda Wattenbach
(signed by David Smith)
Land sale held at Oruawharo 21-22 October 1862
Ref Auckland Museum Library Weekly News 5 Oct 1872 page 23
Smith Sharpe on September 17 at Leverton Farm Albertland N.E. Mr David Smith, farmer, to Kate, second daughter of Nathan William Sharpe. Eng-Home papers please copy. Winesses were Nathan William Sharpe and S Dibble.
Ref HD 1051 A Return of the Freeholders of NZ October 1882 Smith, David, farmer, Wharahine, Rodney held 220 acres worth 335 pounds. His original acerage had been 80 acres, and this eventually grew to 450 acres.
David Smith served on the Roads Board Roney County 1910-1913
Ref NZPost\Wises\Cleaves directories
Diretories would indicate that Kate and David lived at Wharahine until they moved to Auckland shortly before David's death.
Ref NZPO\Cleaves\Wises directories and electoral rolls
1873-74 Wharahine, David Smith, farmer, electoral # 535, Port Albert, freehold Wharahine Port Albert 80 acres, part section 19.
1883-1884 Wharahine, David Smith, farmer
1885-1886 Wharahine, David Smith, farmer
1891 Wharahine, David Smith, farmer
1893 Wharahine, David Smith, farmer
1894 Wharahine, David Smith, farmer
1914 Richardson Road, Mt Albert (where he died)
1915 Richardson Road, Mrs David Smith
1924 Smith Mrs Kate, Richardson Road, Mt Albert
ref "the Rock and the Sky' by H. Mabbett. David Smith donated the land for the first Wharahine school. It formed part of his original land, and was very steep. He was elected to the first official Wharahine Highway Board of 1871-2, then again in 1875-6 and to the triennial road board of 1889-92, then finally
to the 1910-13 board when he was in his seventies. It also confirms that David Came to New Zealand on the Matilda Wattenbach.
Ref 'The Rock and the Sky' by H Mabbett
Kate Sharp, Mrs David Smith, owned a Mule called Stoffel which she often rode to port. She and David were allocated a 80 acre farm which later formed part of Ian (Sam) Dodd's farm. At the time of publication of this book the old Smith farmhouse was still standing screened by a row of century old oak trees. According to this book they had 9 children:
(1) Tattersall (Tattie) married Sol Parkinson and lived in St Benedict St (AK)
(2) Frank Smith married Julia Brennan, was butcher at Wharahine and Port Albert
(3) Mary Smith married Harry Harrison of Auckland and moved away (I think Harry died early and Mary re-married)
(4) Kate Patience Smith (K.P.) married Waldo Smith and lived in Auckland, probably owning tearooms.
(5) William Thomas Kitching Smith who remained single, farming at Wharahine on part of his fathers land which had built up to about 450 acres. He was away for World War I.
(6) Robert Nathan Smith married Lilian Peach. He was also in World War I. He also farmed part of David's land. The couple had 2 children: Charles and Majory. Majory married Sydney White of Auckland and moved away. Charles married Verona May Salt of Birkenhead and with his 2 sons; Colin and Alan, own and operated Smith Transport Ltd.
(7) Lucy Smith married one Peterson of Auckland and moved away.
(
E.B.V. Smith (middle name Brunette-called Nettie) married one Fenner of Auckland and moved away.
(9) Charles became an engineer in Auckland.
The children went to school at Wharahine:
