The Wairarapa Daily Times, 4 July 1910
(New Zealand)

PERSONAL ITEMS
Mr John Hill, Merivale, one of Canterbury’s earliest pioneers, died recently. Mr Hill formerly lived at West Melton, where he was one of the original settlers. Born in Cornwall in 1836, the late Mr Hill arrived at Lyttleton in the ship Sir George Seymour, on December 16th, 1850. His brother, the late Mr James Hill, of Dunsandel, came out to the colony with him, and they had previously purchased from the Canterbury Association fifty acres of land a Papanui, and a similar area at Fendalton. The purchase carried with it a town section for each in the city of Christchurch, which was then in a very primitive state. The brothers farmed the land at Fendalton for some years, and in about 1864 they moved to West Melton, where they took up separate blocks of 170 acres each. During his residence at West Melton the late Mr John Hill increased his holding to 1000 acres, including some of the best land in the district. About eleven years ago he retired, and came to live in the city.

Contributed by Bob Bolitho