George Henry Moore (12 October 1812 – 7 July 1905), derogatorily known as Scabby Moore, was a Manx settler of New Zealand and
runholder.
Early life
Moore was born at
Billown Mansion near
Castletown, Isle of Man
Castletown ( gv, Balley Chashtal, pronounced ) is a town in the Isle of Man, geographically within the historical parish of Malew but administered separately. Lying at the south of the island, it was the Manx capital until 1869. The centre of ...
on 12 October 1812. In about 1830, he emigrated to Tasmania with his friend Robert Kermode and then worked on Mona Vale Station in
Tasmania
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owned by William Kermode (Robert's father). Moore married Anne Kermode, the owner's daughter. He was later the owner of
Glenmark Station Glenmark may refer to:
* Glenmark (ship), a British clipper ship of the 1860s-70s
* Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, an Indian Pharmaceuticals company
* Glenmark, California, United States
* Glenmark Station, sheep station of George Henry Moore near Wai ...
north of
Waipara
Waipara is a small town in north Canterbury, New Zealand, on the banks of the Waipara River. Its name translates to "Muddy Water", ''wai'' meaning water and ''para'' meaning mud.
It is at the junction of state highways 1 and 7, 60 kilometre ...
, which for a time was New Zealand's largest sheep run.
Settling New Zealand
Moore went to New Zealand in 1853 to prospect for land. With funds put up by Robert Kermode, he purchased large landholdings in North Canterbury (including Glenmark). Upon his return to Tasmania, a company was set up under the name Moore and Kermode, with Moore to be the manager and William Moore (his son), Robert Kermode, and Dr
John Lillie. The partnership also bought land in mid-Canterbury (
Wakanui,
Rokeby, and
Longbeach) in the
Ashburton District, but this had been sold again by the mid-1870s.
Heritage New Zealand
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...
has four separate listings on Glenmark Station. Moore had a mansion constructed for him, which took seven years to build. It was finished in 1888, but burned out on 23 January 1891. The two-storey house had cost around £15,000 to build and the furniture was valued at around £10,000; there was no insurance.
The ruins have a Category II classification.
The
horse stables, built of concrete in ca. 1881 for up to 50 horses, gave expression to his wealth. The stables are of considerable technological importance (due to the early use of concrete) and have a Category I listing.
The Glenmark Station Lodge is listed as a Category II building and still in use.
The Station Manager's House is disused these days and registered as Category II.
Death
Moore died at
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
in 1905, having been blind for several years.
With her inheritance, his daughter purchased a property in Christchurch, which she renamed
Mona Vale after her mother's property.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, George Henry
1812 births
1905 deaths
Manx emigrants to New Zealand
New Zealand farmers