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Tricia and I went to see Elton John in Perth, just fantistic.
I have been able to confirm some of my Beatty information with a report I found by 
Donald G. Dickason, thanks Donald.
Death of Cacilie Jane (June) Blair of Palmerston. Related on the Campbell side.
Death of Ivan King (m Alice Blair)in Timaru on 17 Jan 2008 aged 92 years.
Jim Knox has sent some information on Woodside farm, home of William Campbell 
b1791. Thank You Jim.
Sir Edmund Hillary,New Zealands grateset son died in Auckland on 11 January 
2008.
On 20 December 2007 Dean Campbell and Jessica Prince became engaged.
On the 17 December 2007 Ron Clearwater passed away in Dunedin after a short 
illness at the age of 56, a long time friend saddly missed.
In November a Blair Reunion was held in Port Chalmers in Otago with about 200 
members of the Blair family attending. A reinactment of the Robert Blair 
family arriving in Otago was held and the family was addressed by the mayor of 
Dunedin City, mr Peter Chin gave an address to the people in attendance.Please 
see article and photo. 
The death of Robert Fraser Read in Wellington New Zealand 13 September 2007.
The death of Jean Blair (nee Burron)on 18 August 2007 in Dunedin.
Cooper Mac CATTON SMITH was born 2 February 2007 and in May Evie Anne Louise 
Norton was born, both are from branches of the Blair family.  
Helen Keown (nee Blair) has sent me information on her branch of the family, 
thanks Helen. 
Death of Florence Templeton, (nee Trimmer) aged 105 years in Havlock North, 
New 
Zealand.
Eion McKean has been in Antarctica working (2007)and has sent us some photo's. 
Contact me if you would like to see more.
George Clearwater has given me some information regarding the Clearwater/ 
Blair family for the Book Clearwaters in New Zealand, thanks George.
Colleen McKean (nee Mawhinney) died on 06 December 2006 in Palmerston, Otago 
New 
Zealand.
Russell Blair Read, died in September 2006 in Sydney Australia.
Lindsay Alexander Blair (Lin)died at Clyde August 21 2006.
Andrew Simpson Blair died 12 July 2006. Andy was the youngest of his branch of 
the Blair family.
Some new photos of the Read/Blair family.
Vannessa Ritchie (Clark) has updated the Read family, thanks Vannessa.
Andera Leonard has updated the John William Charles Blair family, thanks 
Andera.
Robert Blair's sister Iasbella came to Otago as Mrs Stevenson on the Philip 
Laing in 1848 well before the rest of the Blair's in 1857. Stevenson, Isabella 
Blair, Mrs (50) [widow, matron of the Philip Laing]. 
East Taieri d. 6/8/1873.
 
 

 
Please leave a message in my guest book if you want anything and I will send 
whatever I can.
Any one interested in the names Campbell, Beatty, Blair, McDonald, 
Crozier,Houliston,Sherriff,Murdoch and many others in New Zealand will find 
some information. The Campbells and Blairs came to Dunedin and the McDonalds 
went to Waipu. They came to New Zealand after first being in Nova Scotia under 
the leadership of Norman McLeod who seemed to be a god like man who ruled them 
with a hand of iron.The Beatty and Crozier are from Ireland and came to Otago.
I would like to thank my Aunty Fay Campbell and Laurie McNeill as they have 
provided some of the Campbell and McDonald information, also thanks to Gaye 
Strand for some information on the Waipu settlers. Some of the Blair 
information came from Martha Murdoch's book "They Built for Tomorrow", the 
story of the Blair Family in Otago. Thanks also to Linette Smith for details 
of the Robert Blair Family. 
Barbara Coomer has provided Beatty and Crozier details. Nora Burgess, 
Brent Sherriff and Annette Cox have provided information on their families. 
Some of the Murdoch information has come from Tor Riley and Lindsay Carter, 
thankyou.Jan Kelly has provided some of the information from her excelent 
website on the Merrilees family, thanks Jan.
One of the most famous men in these pages is Captian FRM Crozier who 
died finding the North West Passage in 1848. I think his friendship with 
Captain James Clarke Ross is why the name Ross apears in the family quite a 
bit. I don't know what you call it but it is very strange that Captian Crozier 
had a hand in finding and exploring Antartica and one of the ships was call 
Erobus and generations later one of my cousins, Stewart Campbell died on Mount 
Erobus in New Zealands worst air crash.
Johnny Jones was also a man of the sea and one of Otago and New Zealands first 
settlers.William Cargill was the first superintendent of Otago.Many others 
have 
also helped and given information, thanks. 
Anyone is free to make use of my information and if I can help just send me an 
e-mail and I will see if I can provide you with something.If you have 
something 
to help me that will also be great.
John Blair
When John Blair was about 18, a few years after their arrival in Otago, his 
brother Alex and he obtained a wagon and three bullocks and started carting. 
He 
told of an eventful trip, when they conveyed the first load of Chinese 
emigrants from Dunedin. With their wagon and bullocks, they were stationed at 
John Reid and Sons, awaiting the arrival of the Chinese. He said, "I can see 
them yet, coming up from the wharf, with their long pigtails or queues, and 
wide milk-basin hats such as the Chinese wore at that time". On the first 
night 
they got as far as the Blair home, Blair Cottage at East Taieri, where they 
spent the night. The Chinese slept the night under the wagon. Nightmare 
stories 
are told of the journey south and of the crossing at Taieri Ferry. At all 
times 
the Chinese were very heplful, getting to the back of the wagon and assisting 
the bullocks by pushing through the muddy swamps, and crossing fords. This was 
the start of the Chinese people coming to Otago where they worked very hard to 
make a living from gold mining and other jobs. Some of these Chinese families 
are now very well known and respected in Otago and have made their 
contribution 
to the success of Otago.
William Campbell
He was one of the last fifty men to leave Gallipoli during WW1 and then went 
to 
France.
Thomas Beatty
He was a builder,farmer,international grand master of his lodge and catchment 
board member during his long life.
Alice Henderson
She was a school teacher and one of the first people in New Zealand to speek 
Esperanto. 
David Neilson
He helped built the Central Otago Railway Line, see artical attached to him.
Otago was my home for nearly fifty years and will always hold a special place 
for me.
James Allan Thompson was New Zealand's first Rhodes Scholar.
Janet Frew: No Relation but a worker at a Dunedin woollen mill but sums up 
what 
life should be all about and is very much "Otago" I think.
"I do not wish for Grandeur
Nor yet a store of wealth
I wish for joy and Happiness,
Contentment, Peace and Health"
Janet Frew diary, Tuesday 31 October 1893, a holiday and pay day at the Mill.
There are bound to be mistakes in here and if you have a correction please let 
me know and I will update it.Under Aarticals in the name list (it is the very 
first name in A)I have some articals of interest.
Kind Regards
Blair