John Anderson was a quiet and thoughtful man, born at Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, in 1822. Growing up, John was drawn to nature and had an inclination towards gardening, so after a basic primary education he became an apprentice gardener at Pitfour, a Scottish estate famous for its beautiful gardens. Upon leaving Pitfour he gained additional experience at a variety of Scottish gardens, before deciding better prospects were to be found overseas. He emigrated on the Ajax, arriving at Port Chalmers in January 1849, and soon found work at West Taieri. He did not stay long however, and took up a job offer from the wealthy English settler Judge William Valpy, who had also been a passenger on the Ajax. John became gardener and general manager of Valpy’s estate at Forbury, and soon became known for his excellent work. After hearing of his expertise the Otago authorities of the time employed John to help create a report on Otago’s agricultural prospects, a report that proved to be of great value to the early settlers.
In 1850 John married Maria Calder and raised an impressive family of seven sons and five daughters. He also acquired land in Caversham and sectioned it off into allotments, which was credited as the beginning of the Borough of Caversham. He later turned his attention from gardening to larger scale farming and developed a farm at West Taieri. John paid close attention to local affairs and helped establish the Horticultural Society, for which he often acted as either an exhibitor or a judge. He was also a member of the local school committee and the local road board and was considered a valuable and efficient member of both. He died at home in Caversham on 23 June 1893.
Mr John Anderson