Remembering Thomas Meek

Remembering Thomas Meek

The name Meek is associated with a number of Oamaru’s historic buildings. J & T Meek, Millers and Grain Merchants at the end of Meek Street and Meek’s Elevator at the north east end of Itchen Street are two that stand out. Thomas Meek was one half of the Meek partnership, and was a popular businessman in the history of Oamaru. Oamaru Cemetery is his final resting place.

Thomas Meek was born in Larnarkshire, Scotland in 1842. He was schooled in his home town where he trained to be a joiner. At the age of 21, Meek became fascinated with New Zealand and sailed to Dunedin aboard the ship Electric arriving in 1863. He moved on to Oamaru in the same year.

Once in Oamaru Thomas Meek went into partnership with his brother John as a building contractor, this particular business lasted four years. During his time as a builder Meek married Jane Hurst in 1866.

At the end of the four year period Thomas, along with his brother John, purchased a steam threshing mill; this mill was likely the first in the district, it was a wooden structure and stood in Severn Street. With the newly purchased mill the Meek brothers commenced a flour-milling business. Sources indicate that while John was in charge of the mechanics of the mill, Thomas was very much involved in the business side of the operation. The Severn Street business continued for six years before the pair looked to expand.

In 1872 John and Thomas Meek purchased the Crown Mill from J T Evans and Co, this business became J & T Meek, Millers and Grain Merchants. Eventually the mill was fitted with the most up-to-date steam powered machinery and in its day was considered the largest of its kind in Australasia being four stories high with an extravagant floor space. The building stands at the end of Meek Street and still has the imposing J & T Meek signage on the Itchen Street frontage. It is currently the building occupied by Smash Palace.

The Meek brothers also purchased a mill in Harbour Street in 1891. The mill was previously occupied by Gray and Aldridge. Eventually the plant and machinery from the Harbour Street mill was transferred to the larger mill and the Harbour Street mill became a grain store.

The most well known venture of the Meek brothers was the elevator for the bulk storage of grain, known as Meek’s Elevator completed in 1883. It was designed by architects Forrester and Lemon. In its day it was one of the largest and most technologically advanced bulk grain stores in New Zealand. The building was five stories high, built with over 213,000 metres of timber, and had a capacity for 90,000 sacks of grain. Sadly, a large fire in 1920 resulted in the loss of the top two stories and most of the rear of the building. However it is still an impressive piece of Victorian architecture.

As well as his partnership with his brother, Thomas Meek was also involved in other pursuits. During his lifetime he was a member of the Oamaru Borough Council and held a seat on the Oamaru Harbour Board for over ten years. Meek was also closely connected with the Woollen Factory Company where he was chairman of directors for a number of years. He was also chairman of the New Zealand Flourmillers Association.

Thomas Meek was a member of St Paul’s Presbyterian Church. He was also a keen bowler, being a member of a number of Oamaru’s early bowling clubs. Meek was also a director of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association and a member of the Caledonian Society.

In early 1905 Thomas Meek began to feel a little unwell, so he and his wife Jane decided to make a trip back to Britain to aid his recuperation. The pair stayed away for approximately eight months. On 26 October 1905, while stopping in Vancouver on their way back to New Zealand, Thomas Meek passed away, he was 64 years old. Thomas Meek was survived by his wife Jane and their three sons and three daughters.

The North Otago Museum Archive has little information regarding the life of John Meek. We would appreciate any information regarding his arrival to New Zealand and details of his life outside of the Meek business.

All information in this article comes from the Waitaki Museum and Archive and local information sources.

Sources for this article:

• McCarthy, C (2002). ‘Forrester and Lemon of Oamaru, Architects’.
• McDonald, K C (date unknown) ‘Book 46, Clippings’, North Otago Museum Archive, n. 51525.
• Roberts, W H S (1896-1906) ‘Newspaper Cuttings - Mr Thomas Meek’, North Otago Museum Archive reference, p. 149-49.
• The Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Vol. 4, Otago and Southland (1905). ‘Oamaru - Flourmillers, Grocers, etc’, p. 546.

Shanann Carr, Curator of Archives, April 2009