George Chick is recorded, in 1869, as having arrived in New Zealand as a streward on the Challenger and taken up farming. In 1871 he began a carting partnership with Messers James Stumbles and John Boaz.
Marriages
On the 23rd November, at St. Pauls, Church, Dunedin, N.Z., by the Rev. T. L. Stanley, George Chick, to Ellen, eldest daughter of the late George Warry, merchant, Somersetshire, England. Both of that place. -Otago Daily Times, 21/12/1871.
The building known as Chick's Hotel was built in 1878 and, although George can not be positively identified as the hotelier before 1880, he was in court for breaching licensing laws in 1878. It was one of a number of convictions, including that of allowing billiards to be played in his establishment after hours.
He kept his farming interests, advertising for a manager "with colonial experience": in 1882. In 1884 he purchased a one third share in a gold dredge near Waipapa Point in Southland, the derdge being a Welman design suction dredge. In 1890 he became a Councillor for the Middle Ward of Port Chalmers but also seems to have settled at Fortrose, Southland.
The Dairy Conference.
Many subjects of great interest to all concerned in the dairying industry were discussed at the Conference at Dunedin last week, and we would suggest that if the Older Paper is to be of the same length next year at least a couple of days should be occupied in dealing with it. Mr Brydone makes an excellent chairman. He has a happy, terse way of putting things — no unnecessary strain on the bellows, no beating about the bush in coming to the point. But the same could not be said of some of the delegates, and we are sure valuable "experiences" were lost through the volubility and pertinacity of at any rate one or two members. We do not refer to the Southland delegates: true, they spoke often enough, but they wasted no words and wearied no brains. But for the hurriedness of procedure and the 1 desire to confine remarks to the subject on the Order Paper, there might as before remarked, have been what our Salvation friends term "experiences," and happening to know that Mr George Chick, of Port Chalmers, had one to give, the writer of this article waited upon him, and gleaned some interesting facts. Mr Chick is a genial boniface, but, as many of our readers know, is as well a large landed proprietor at Otara, and holds about a third interest in the dairy factory there. He achieved quite a colonial reputation over the Marr case, and at one time it seemed probable his name would be handed down to posterity in the law records of England. But happily that calamity was averted, and a truce having been proclaimed, Mr Chick became owner of the factory, afterwards floating it into a company in which he holds the interest already named. And the company has been a conspicuous success. Last season it turned out over 100 tons of cheese. It was one of the very, very few "three- figure" concerns. The settlers of Otara have reason to bless the founder of the factory, and reason to congratulate themselves on their present proprietary interest, because their's is not a grain-growing district in the true acceptation of the term. The roads are bad and difficult to make; the market for cereals is remote; and the land generally is of such a a character that fits it for carrying stock rather than growing grain; so on the ever-green paddocks of the numerous settlers are to be seen herds of sleek cattle browsing in pasture that would be hard to beat in Southland. They are not troubled down there, as we are here, with frosts that annihilae the grass in autumn, or nip its growth in spring, and all the year round pretty well there is sufficient pasturage to keep factory cows going, and maintain a few for winter use and butter-making. But we are losing sight of those "experiences." Mr Chick leased to Mr Weir a "dairy" of 49 cows to be milked for the season, the result being that from the 5th October, 1891, to the 29th May, 1892 — the opening and closing dates of the Otara factory — the sum of L7 2s 10 1/4d was realised for each animal. Think of that ye oat-growers! We are aware higher figures could be given; but that was in the early stage of the industry, when factories were giving 4d and 4 1/2d per gallon for the lacteal fluid. The work may be arduous and is necessarily continuous; but now-a-days money is not picked up in the streets nor affluence gained by farm labor entailing no soiling of the hands, no privations in early morn or dewy eve; and so we hope our friends at Mataura Island will take heart and float the company recently referred to at as early a date as possible. They are keen, shrewd men; and for their information, as well as for that of others, we may mention that Mr Weir fed his herd on from 120 to 130 acres of the English grass on Yeovil Farm, so he realises L175, and Mr Chick nets L1 8s per acre for the use of his land. This of course does not allow for depreciation in the value of the herd through ageing or accident. There is every prospect of a higher price for milk in future, now that the market is thoroughly assured and the matter of disposal of produce in its matured state so ably and earnestly taken up by a body of men working disinterestedly in the interests of the bone and sinew of the colony. -Mataura Ensign, 1/7/1892.
WRECK OF THE WAIRARAPA ON THE GREAT BARIER.
VESSEL ALMOST SUBMERGED
134 LIVES LOST.
CAPTAIN MMNTOSH AMONG THE DROWNED. (ecxerpt)
Those of the public who had friends on board the Union Company's steamer Wairarapa, overdue at Auckland from Sydney, were just beginning to feel anxious, when news of the worst character came to hand. About 8.30 this morning a telegram arrived stating that the vessel had been totally wrecked on the Great Barrier Island, the outer bulwark of the Hauraki Gulf, and that a heavy loss of life had resulted. The first messages were soon supplemented by others giving fuller particulars, and the dreadful tale as unfolded in the despatches herewith attached shows that the deaths exceed in number those of any previous marine disaster to a merchantman on the New Zealand coast.
Mr George Chick, of Chick's Hotel, Port Chalmers, and his brother-in-law (Mr Warry) were passengers. Mr Warry intended to reside here permanently. -Evening Star, 1/11/1894.
Mr George Chick, who was drowned, nursed Mr Hugh Reid, third son of Mr Donald Reid, ex-M.H.R., in Samoa three or four months ago, and this so affected him that a doctor told him if he did not get away he would die also. Mr Chick returned to Auckland in the Taviuni, and went on to Sydney. He was on his way back to Dunedin when he met his sad fate. -NZ Times, 7/11/1894.
Mr George Chick, of Port Chalmers, who has lost his life, only booked his passage in the Wairarapa because his brother-in-law, Mr Warry, who was also drowned, was coming by her. Mr Chick had originally intended to return to New Zealand by an earlier steamer. -Otago Witness, 8/11/1894.
Mr George Chick, another Port resident, was also drowned. He was in delicate health, and under the circumstances it was not expected he would save himself. -Dunstan Times, 9/11/1894.
BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETINGS.
PORT CHALMERS.
The Port Chalmers Municipal Council held a meeting on Monday evening, at which were present his Worship the Mayor (Mr S. Watson, jun.), Crs J.Watson, sen., E. G. Allen, J. Weir, A. McInnes, W. Murray, T. Thomson; jun., W. Pedlow, W. Sutton, W. Mudge, C. M. Inverarity. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read and confirmed, Cr Allen moved — "That the Finance Committee be empowered to pay any accounts due up to date, and that the council should adjourn until the 19th inst., out of respect to the memory of the late Cr George Chick, who was one of the victims of the Wairarapa disaster." In speaking to the motion, Cr Allen referred in feeling terms to the late Cr Chick and other of the townspeople who had perished with him, and he moved that a letter of condolence be sent to Mrs Chick expressing the deep sympathy of the councillors with her in her sad bereavement. — This was seconded by Cr Murray, and carried unanimously. The council then adjourned until the 19th inst. -Otago Daily Times, 10/11/1894.
The interment of the remains of the late Mr W. Warry, brother-in-law of the late Mr George Chick, of Port Chalmers, took place in the New Cemetery yesterday. There was a large attendance of the friends of the deceased, who formerly resided in the Port, and the funeral services of the Church of England were impressively conducted by the Rev. F. C. Platts, M.A., incumbent of Holy Trinity Church. The body of Mr Chick, of Port Chalmers, has not yet been found, the telegram to the effect that it had, sent from Auckland to his family, proving incorrect. -Evening Star, 12/11/1894.
In Memoriam
Chick — Warry. — In sorrowing remembrance of my dear husband, George Chick, and my dear brother, William Warry, who were drowned in the wreck of the Wairarapa at the Great Barrier, October 28,1894.
There was no farewell; Nothing but the angry waves!
— Inserted by his Wife (and Family). -Evening Star, 28/10/1895.
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