Lachlan Langlands was a key figure in the early development of this Museum. Born on the island of Sanda in Argyleshire, Scotland, he was an 18-year-old when he arrived in Otago on the Victory in 1848. Within a few months he was working as a clerk with the Customs Office. In 1850 he was promoted to post office clerk, working between Dunedin and Port Chalmers. This brought him into contact with lots of the early settler families. The low volume of mail meant the job was not very challenging, so in 1857 Langlands moved on to work as an estate manager at Waikakakahi in North Otago. For the next 40 years he worked on large estates all over Otago and Southland. In 1898 he retired to Dunedin and became heavily involved in the celebrations of Otago’s 50th jubilee. He had a great memory and was a very good storyteller, qualities he displayed in a series of reminiscences of the early days published in the newspaper.
Langlands’ account of the first Christmas in Dunedin, for example, is a very lively anecdote about a drunken riot in the Royal Hotel – a far cry from some of the more pious memories that other early settlers liked to offer. Langlands’ superb memory and his familiarity with the early settlers made him the ideal person to become Secretary of the newly formed Early Settlers Association. Starting work in 1899, Langlands gave the new organisation the verve and enthusiasm that helped set it on its feet. He gathered historic material, recorded reminiscences and assembled biographical data on the early pioneers. This gradually led the Association to add a museum development to its earlier focus on social events and reunions. It was a decisive change in direction. By the time Langlands retired in 1909 the Early Settlers Museum had been built. It consisted of this room and the large hall alongside. It soon had a great array of portraits and artefacts to display and was the first museum of New Zealand history. Langlands had married for the first time in 1906 at the age of 76 and had no children. He died in 1911, aged 81.
Lachlan Langlands