BISHOPDALE – The Bishop Brothers (1820’s – 1900’s)

When Robert Bishop (1827 – 1909) stepped off the “Caroline Anges” in 1855, his future lay in an old river bed. The Maori called the area ‘Papa Kohatu’ – (place of rocks) as it was an overflow of the old Waimairi River which in turn, left the land covered in rocks and pebbles. When the …

Douglas Graham (1818 – 1872)

The news of finding coal at Homebush had been pretty exciting for the Deans and all concerned. James McIlraith – Jane Deans’ half brother and manager of Homebush – and Julius van Haast – the founder of the Canterbury Museum – had made the discovery in the late 1870’s. Just two years later, a coal …