Remembering John Johnson Spence
Remembering John Johnson Spence
John Johnson Spence was an early European settler in Oamaru who turned his hand to many trades. During his time in Otago he was a farmer, builder, merchant, ship owner, miller and grocer. He is buried in a shady spot in the Oamaru cemetery alongside his wife and two of his infant children.
Spence was born in London in 1830 where he went to school and completed a building apprenticeship. In 1854, like a number of his peers, he immigrated to Australia to work in the goldfields of Victoria. He worked as a builder and a miner in a number of goldmines in the area, including Maryborough, Clunes Flat, Back Creek, Beechworth, McIvor and Fiery Creek. Spence married in 1857 to Jane Williamson, who was also of London.
In 1862 Spence decided to move on from mining and relocated to New Zealand. He arrived in Port Chalmers where he began his new life as a farmer at Blueskin Bay, however in 1868 he moved on to Oamaru where he found work as a builder.
John Spence eventually went into business as a general merchant and ship owner as one half of the partnership Spence and Grave. Spence and Grave owned a number of ships operating from Oamaru harbour, namely Wave, which shipped coal from Newcastle, Australia; and Nil Desperandum, which traded to China.
Spence and Grave also invested in a flax mill owned by John Hunt. They made alterations to the mill and it became the Phoenix Flour Mill, which was later owned by George Bruce and Co. The large water wheel, a key element in the operation of this mill, is still visible today off Old Mill Road.
John Spence sold his share of the firm Spence and Grave and commenced a new business, Spence and Hay, which was a flour milling company. This company was responsible for building the flour mill which became Ireland and Co. This mill was situated on the corner of Severn and Cross streets, the site of the current Mitre 10 building.
When Spence and Hay parted ways, John Spence developed a new partnership with William Bee in the business Spence and Bee, which operated as a wholesale grocer on the corner of Tyne and Itchen Streets. Spence retired from this business to move into sheep farming in 1884 and William Bee became the sole owner and operator of the business.
As well as being a keen businessman, John Spence was involved in a number of the town’s public institutions. Spence was a member of the Oamaru Borough Council, representing the Severn Ward for a number of years. He was also a committee member for a number of the schools in the area, and was a director of the first Oamaru Permanent Building Society.
John Johnson Spence was an able and energetic man right up until his death. He died suddenly on the 14 September 1905 after a very short illness at the age of 74. He was survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.
All information in this article comes from the Waitaki Museum and Archive.
Sources for this article:
- The Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Vol. 4, Otago and Southland (1905). ‘John Johnson Spence’, pp. 504-5.
- Roberts, W H S (1896-1906) ‘Mr J. J. Spence’ in Newspaper Cuttings, North Otago Museum Archive reference, p. 147.
Written by Shanann Carr, Curator of Archives, June 2009