Gerhard John Mueller (1835 - 1918)

Born 7 Feb 1835 in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse, German Empire

Died 20 Feb 1918 at age 83 in Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand

Biography

Birth
Gerhard Mueller was born 7 February 1835 at Darmstadt, in the grand duchy of Hesse. He was the son of Danish parents.
^[1]

Because he wished to avoid compulsory military training, Gerhard (18) travelled to England, America and Australia before coming first to Auckland and finally arrived at Bluff in New Zealand in January 1859. He was naturalised as a British subject on 18 January 1860.

Marriage
Gerhard married Elizabeth Bannatyne (Bannie) McArthur 17 September 1862 at her parents' home in Invercargill. They had four sons and three daughters: Gerhard, Isabella, Frederick, Arthur James^[2], Mildred, Eric Oswald, ^[3] and Bertha,^[4][5] who died in early childhood.

Surveyor
In 1859 Gerhard Mueller had begun three years study in Invercargill to qualify as a civil engineer and surveyor. He then entered into partnership in 1862 with Friederich Geissow. Until deteriorating economic conditions deteriorated, he practised as a surveyor and engineer in Southland and when John Turnbull Thomson advised him of the need for surveyors in West Canterbury he went to Hokitika where he was employed to define the boundaries of native reserves in South Westland.

Westland
At the end of 1865 Gerhard laid out the town of Okarito, was involved in surveying Greymouth in March 1866, and continued with native reserves work until July. He became assistant surveyor and mining assistant at Westland1 May 1866 and was in charge of the survey of South Westland, with his headquarters at Okarito. In April he had begun to build a cottage in Okarito to receive his wife and infant son who disembarked at Hokitika on 18 August 1866. Their daughter, Isabella, was born at Okarito.

in his letters to his wife, Bannie, during their 11 months' separation Gerhard made light of privations of his difficult pioneering work, continually shifting, setting up camp, frequently wet through and sometimes reduced to near starvation. His natural leadership kept his men loyal and hard-working. Mueller also had the services of a Maori guide, Kerei, who successfully saw them through many treacherous river journeys and crossings, frequently using dugout canoes made by themselves.

Chief Surveyor
Westland was designated a separate land district in 1868 and Mueller was appointed chief surveyor12 January 1871 . The family then moved to Hokitika, where Gerhard had his head office.

His later life is documented only in official publications of the Department of Lands and Survey. In association with those other great Westland pioneers – Charles Douglas, J. Browning, and G. J. Roberts – he explored and surveyed much of the West Coast between the Grey and Arawata Rivers, providing maps and names still in use today. His most notable explorations were those of the Haast-Arawata region in 1885 and of the inaccessible Landsborough Valley in 1887, both expeditions in association with Charles Douglas.

The Special Settlement

Auckland
He next became Commissioner of Crown Lands and, in 1891, moved to Auckland where he was first Commissioner of Crown Lands and, later, Assistant Surveyor-General.

Death
Gerhard Mueller died at his home in Victoria Avenue, Remuera, Auckland, 20 February 1918 ^[6]and was buried with his wife in the Waikaraka Cemetery, Onehunga.
^[7] His wife, Bannie, had died in 1915. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ 'MUELLER, Gerhard', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/mueller-gerhard (accessed 20 Apr 2023)
2. ↑ Birth Registration of child Arthur James Mueller: "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966"
   citing Birth, New Zealand, registration number 1879/17323, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.
   FamilySearch Record: Q24V-J2ZY (accessed 20 April 2023)
   https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dbirths
   Name: Gerhard Mueller; Ui Source Flag: I-TABLE 2017_11_14;Previously Published.
3. ↑ Birth Registration of child Eric Oswald Mueller: "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966"
   citing Birth, New Zealand, registration number 1882/7145, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.
   FamilySearch Record: Q24V-5Z82 (accessed 20 April 2023)
   https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dbirths
   Name: Gerhard Mueller; Ui Source Flag: I-TABLE 2017_11_14;Previously Published.
4. ↑ Birth Registration of child Bertha Keddie Mueller: "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966"
   citing Birth, New Zealand, registration number 1888/9246, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.
   FamilySearch Record: Q24K-ZD24 (accessed 20 April 2023)
   https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dbirths
   Name: Gerhard Mueller; Ui Source Flag: I-TABLE 2017_11_14;Previously Published.
5. ↑ Birth Registration of child Mueller: "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966"
   citing Birth, New Zealand, registration number 1881/18547, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.
   FamilySearch Record: Q24V-PMXH (accessed 20 April 2023)
   https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dbirths
   Name: Gerhard Mueller; Ui Source Flag: I-TABLE 2017_11_14;Previously Published.
6. ↑ Obituary of son Gerhard George Mueller: "New Zealand, Obituaries, 1844-1963"
   citing New Zealand, various New Zealand newspapers; FHL microfilm 7,832,338.
   FamilySearch Record: QPR6-3TSH (accessed 20 April 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CS3Z-1FXV Image number 00452
   Name: Gerhard Mueller; Relationship To Head: Father.
7. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #166190988 (accessed 20 April 2023)
   Memorial page for Gerhard John Mueller (7 Feb 1835-20 Feb 1918), citing Waikaraka Cemetery, Ōnehunga, Auckland Council, Auckland, New Zealand (plot: Area 1 Block K Lot No 84B); Maintained by Cyndi (contributor 47314338).
8. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #166190985 (accessed 20 April 2023)
   Memorial page for Elizabeth Bannatyne MacArthur Mueller (16 Oct 1842-24 May 1915), citing Waikaraka Cemetery, Ōnehunga, Auckland Council, Auckland, New Zealand (plot: Area 1 Block K Lot No 84); Maintained by Cyndi (contributor 47314338).

Books:

• Hall-Jones, J., 'Martins Bay'. Invercargill, [1987]
• Mueller, G., 'My dear Bannie'. Ed. M. V. Mueller. Christchurch, 1958
• Pascoe, J., ed.,' Mr Explorer Douglas'. Wellington, 1957
• Roxburgh, Irvine, 'Jacksons Bay. A Centennial History.' AH & AW Reed, Wellington, 1976.