George Hunter (mayor)

Born in McDuff Parish, Banffshire, Scotland he came to Wellington in the ship Duke of Roxburgh in 1840, with his wife Helen, six daughters and four sons.^[1][2] Hunter's wife was the daughter of David Souter, Chief Factor to the Right Honorable James Duff, 4th Earl Fife.^[3]

He was described by Mary Swainson as having a bald head, circular spectacles and beaming eyes, and as exactly resembling Mr Pickwick of Charles Dickens The Pickwick Papers. He was one of the founders of the Pickwick Club in Wellington.

Shortly after his arrival, Hunter asked Samuel Parnell, a carpenter he had met on the ship, to build him a store on Lambton Quay, to which Parnell agreed, provided he only worked eight hours a day, the beginning of the Eight Hour Day in New Zealand. As there were only three carpenters in Wellington, Hunter reluctantly agreed to this condition.^[4]

Hunter's eldest son, George Hunter and his grandson Sir George Hunter were both Members of Parliament. His great-great-great granddaughter Irvine Yardley was a Wellington City Councillor from 1974 to 1979.^[5]

Prior to coming to New Zealand, Hunter had worked for a major mercantile establishment in Aberdeen. He moved to London, where he worked as a merchant until leaving in 1839 for New Zealand with the New Zealand Company.

He was in business on Willis Street with Kenneth Bethune as general and shipping merchants, and lived in Tinakori Road, where Premier House was later built.^[6] Hunter was the Storemaster-General of the New Zealand Company^[7] In April 1840 he was appointed as a director of the Wellington Branch of the Union Bank of Australia.^[8] In 1841 Hunter was appointed to the Committee of the New Zealand Flax Association.^[9]