Eugene Bellairs

Sometimes one thing leads to another and so today we get involved with Eugene Bellairs

We met him in the Priaulx family and found lots of interesting things about him.
So lets start.
He was born: 06 Jul 1824 in Dinan, Brittany, France
Married: 31 Jan 1855 in St George's Church, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Died: 21 Sep 1911 in Ayr St. Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand
Father: John Harry Bellaers Commander R.N.
Mother: Ann Louisa Frances Russell Bull
Married Maria Margaret Priaulx
Born: 06 Jun 1833 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Died: 31 Aug 1898 in Auckland, New Zealand and had 5 children.
01 (F): Adele Maria Louise Bellairs
Born: 17 Aug 1859 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Died: 30 Dec 1948 in 33 Birdwood Cres, Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand
02 (M): Henry Eugene Bellairs
Born: 23 Jun 1861 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Died: 23 Jan 1862 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
03 (F): Ida Pauline Bellairs
Born: 25 Oct 1866 in Auckland, New Zealand
Died: 1866 in Auckland, New Zealand
04 (F): Emily Priaulx Bellairs
Born: 07 Jan 1870 in Wellington, South Island, New Zealand
Died: 23 Feb 1870 in Wellington, South Island, New Zealand
05 (F): female Bellairs
Born: about 1873
Died: after 1911
Eugene Bellairs has been a most interesting gentleman to research, leaving his mark on the southern states of Australia as well as on New Zealand.
Eugene was born 6th July 1824 at Dinan, Brittany,France to Ann Louisa Francis Russell BULL and RN Commander John Harry Bellairs. Commander Bellairs must have been stationed there at the time,as at least one sister was also born there.
He was christened at the Anglican Protestant Chapel, St. Servan Sur Mer, Ille de Villaine on 31st July 1824.
At the age of 22, Eugene, now a qualified surveyor,emigrated to New Zealand on the “Phoebe”arriving 29th March 1843. He had been employed by the “New Zealand Company” to survey the Nelson area for land subdivision.
The Maori had not agreed to the sale of land and burnt down the surveyors’ huts.
This resulted in the infamous confrontation at Wairau, which took place on
Saturday 17th June 1843.
Eugene was lucky to survive the massacre as 22 Englishmen were killed.
Years later, as the last survivor of the Wairau Massacre, Eugene wrote an eyewitness account for an Auckland newspaper.
Eugene at some period transferred to Victoria as an Assistant Government Surveyor, for in 1852 he surveyed Essendon, followed by Oakleigh and Mulgrave in 1853.
A handwritten account of his survey of Mulgrave states “lovely land, well grassed, gum, she oak, honeysuckle.” By late 1854, Eugene was working at Ballarat and it was
interesting to discover that he was indirectlyinvolved with the Eureka Rebellion. Whilst out riding with a friend, he went near the Eureka Stockade area and was stopped by a group of men,only being allowed free when they determined he was not a government soldier.
Eugene testified as a witness at the subsequent trials on the Eureka Stockade and his exact words have been recordedfor posterity. (>The Eureka Rebellion data can easily
be located on the Internet.)
I also know he spent time surveying and exploring in South Australia whilst visiting his sister,Marguerite Louise, who had married Arthur William Gliddon.
At some time Eugene transferred to Tasmania, for it wasthere that he married into my family, marrying Maria Margaret Priaulx at the beautiful St George’s Church in
Hobart at the end of January 1855.
Maria Margaret was the daughter of Amelia Hide of Guernsey and Henry Priaulx of Southampton. Henry was the Assistant Commissariat General in Tasmania at that time.
I feel that the families probably knew each other through their seafaring activities, however one branch of my Guernsey Hide’s married a French monsieur and they
christened their two children in the same St. Servan Sur Mer Chapel, so the marriage may have been arranged.
Eugene’s mother and another sister, Mira Elizabeth Georgiana, also emigrated as both died in Tasmania.
In 1862 Eugene returned to work in New Zealand for the British Government where four more children were born. Unfortunately, all of his offspring either died in infancy or did not marry so there are no direct descendants today.
Eugene passed away 23rd September 1898 at Parnell,
Auckland. A photograph is in the 1902 Encyclopaedia
of New Zealand Vol.2.
Leonie Freeman
Thanks to Leonie Freeman we know all this.
also we find in THE CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW ZEALAND
MR. EUGENE BELLAIRS who is at present (1900) attached to the gold mining branch of the Survey Department at Auckland, occupies a unique position, inasmuch as he is probably the sole survivor of the historic Wairau Massacre. The son of the late Captain J. H. Bellairs, of the Royal Navy, the subject of this notice was born in Brittany, France, in 1824. Educated in his native place and at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, Mr. Bellairs came to New Zealand early in 1843. Landing at Nelson, he joined one of the survey parties despatched to survey the Wairau Plains on behalf of the New Zealand Company. Shortly after beginning operations, all the survey parties were turned off the land and their huts burnt to the ground, by order of the Maori Chief, Rauparaha. Mr. Bellairs subsequently joined the ill-fated expedition, sent by the Government to apprehend the chiefs who were responsible for this act. The result is well-known, for about twenty Europeans, including most of the leading men of Nelson, were creuelly and treacherously massacred, after their surrender to Rauparaha under promise of safety. Mr. Bellairs was one of the few who effected their escape. Following is a quotation from a local newspaper:-“Shortly afterwards he joined his cousin, Captain Bull, who, with a detachment of his regiment (H.M. 99th), was stationed on the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), in charge of a stockade where some 300 convicts were engaged in road-making. In 1846 Mr. Bellairs accompanied, as a cadet, the first overland expedition that ever attempted to reach South Australia by the Darling River. This party was organised by a Mr. Ray, with a view of taking to Adelaide a mob of cattle and horses. The trip took ten months to accomplish. At the time, they were considered to have been very fortunate in getting through, as the blacks were known to be the very worst they could have encountered, and more especially as the expedition numbered only sixteen all told. Shortly after his arrival in Adelaide, Mr. Bellairs received an appointment on the survey staff, under Captain Frome, R.E., and at the end of the ‘forties’ surveyed a road through the 120 mile scrub desert between the Murray River, near Lake Alexandra, and the Tatitara country. This subsequently, in 1850, became PAGE 180 the highway to the Victorian Goldfields, effecting a saving of some seventy-five miles, as compared with the old Mount Gambier Road. Mr. Bellairs, after the action at the Eureka Stockade, took cypher despatches for the officer in charge of the Ballarat military encampment—a Major Thomas—to General Macarthur, whom he found encamped at Ballan, on his way with reinforcements to support that officer. About 1862 Mr. Bellairs returned to New Zealand, and was engaged by the Government in making surveys under the late Major Heaphy, during active operations in the Waikato.” Mr. Bellairs was married in Tasmania in 1855 to the second daughter of Mr. H. Priaulx, Assistant Commissary General of that colony
In the newspaper we find
The death at Auckland of Mr. Eugene Bellairs, formerly of the Government Survey Department, was briefly noted in The Post a short time- ago. Before his retirement, some years back, Mr. Bellairs was for a. long time stationed in Wellington, and was a well-known resident of the Thorndon end of the city. According to a notice in the New Zealand Herald, he had the unique distinction of being the sole survivor of the historic Wairau massacre. The son of the late Captain J. H. Bellairs, of the Royal Navy, he was bom in Brittany, France, in 1824. Educated in hie native place and at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, Mr. Bellairs came to New Zealand early in 1843. Landing at Nelson, he joined one of the survey parties despatched to survey the Wairau Plains on behalf of the New Zealand Company. Shortly after beginning operations, all the survey parties were turned off the land and their huts burnt to the ground, by order of the Maori chief ftauparaha. Mr. Bellairs subsequently joined the illfated expedition sent by the Government to apprehend the chiefs who were responsible for this act. The result m well known, for about twenty Europeans, including most of the leading men of Nelson, -were cruelly and treacherously massacred, after their surrender to Itauparaha, under promise of safety. Mr. Bellairs was ope of the few who effected their escape. He afterwards went to Australia, where he was engaged in survey work. After the action of the Eureka Stockade, he took cypher despatches for the officer in charge of the Ballarat military encampment. About 1862 Mv Bellairs returned to New Zealand, and was engaged by the Government in making surveys, under the late Major Heaphy, during active operations in the Waikato. Fifty years ago today the Bank of New Zealand was established in Auckland—l6th October, 1861.
also from the newspaper
THE WAIRAU MASSACRE.
4_ . To 'the -Editor. Sir, — In a recent issue of the Express, an account was given of the death of an old man named Croudis, or" Crudis, as being one of the last Survivors of the Wairau Massacre. With your permission I send you for publication* a list of the white men present at the affray,, which took place on Saturday, 17th June, 1843, and the following is taken from the "Fourteenth Beporfc of the Directors of the New Zealand Company.— l am, &0., H. L. N. Clabkb. - Havelock, July 24, 1888. 11 Police Magistrate and County Judge, Mr Thompson, massacred; Magistrates, Captain Wakefield and Captain England, massacred; Principal Surveyor, Mr Tuckett, escaped; Crown Prosecutor, Mr Richardson, massacred; Land Agent, Mr Patchet, killed; Company's Storekeeper, Mr Howard, massacred; Surveyors, Mr Cotterill, massacred, J. M. Barnicoat and Mr Bellairs, escaped, [Mr Barnicoat is still living] ; passenger of brig, Mr Ferguson, escaped ; Interpreter, John Brooks, massacred; Chief Malm, died of wounds (body not found) ; Constables : Gapper, wounded, lost use of his hand, Coster and William Gardiner, killed and massacred; Special Constables: Edward Stokes, died of wound's, James McGregor, killed, Eichard Burnet, wounded, John- Gay,, William Maunsell, and John Nolan, escaped, Jqhnßumforth, lost his arm, Eli Cropper, Wm. Northam, Henry Bumforth, Thomes Tyrrell 1 , and Isaac Smith, killed or maseaoredv Eichard Warner, escaped; Boatmen: Thomas Pay, killed or massacred, Samuel Goddard, Abraham Yollard, John Kidson, George Bampton, apd Wm. Burt, escaped ; men engaged on the survey :_H. Richardson, Thomas Hannam, W. Chamberlain, James Grant, Eichard Peanter, Wm. Morrison, Joseph Morgan, and John Miller, escaped, Eobert Crawford and John Smith, wounded, ■ Wm. Clansey, John Burton, and Thomas Eadcliffe, killed or massacred, Henry Wray, escaped.— The foregoing acount of the massacre at the Wairau has been- carefully taken from that drawn up by one of the Wellington Magistrates who was present at the examination of witnesses on board the Government brig, and afterwards at Wellington, and published m the Supplement of the New Zealand Gazette, from one given m the' Nelson Examiner immediately afterwards, from a written statement with which we have been favoured- by Mr Barnicoat, and from the depositions of survivors, taken . by the Nelson Magistrates."

Mr E. E. Bellairs, Government Surveyor, who has received notice that his servioes will be dispensed with at the end of the month, baa been in the Government employ thirtythroe years. He oamo to iho Colony in 1813, and was one of those who escaped in the Wairau massacre.

He was the brother in law of Emily Hannah Priaulx and her husband William Heath Vlieland.




MR. EUGENE BELLAIRS, who is at present (1900) attached to the gold mining branch of the Survey Department at Auckland, occupies a unique position, inasmuch as he is probably the sole survivor of the historic Wairau Massacre. The son of the late Captain J. H. Bellairs, of the Royal Navy, the subject of this notice was born in Brittany, France, in 1824. Educated in his native place and at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, Mr. Bellairs came to New Zealand early in 1843. Landing at Nelson, he joined


Mr. E. Bellairs.

one of the survey parties despatched to survey the Wairau Plains on behalf of the New Zealand Company. Shortly after beginning operations, all the survey parties were turned off the land and their huts burnt to the ground, by order of the Maori Chief, Rauparaha. Mr. Bellairs subsequently joined the ill-fated expedition, sent by the Government to apprehend the chiefs who were responsible for this act. The result is well-known, for about twenty Europeans, including most of the leading men of Nelson, were creuelly and treacherously massacred, after their surrender to Rauparaha under promise of safety. Mr. Bellairs was one of the few who effected their escape. Following is a quotation from a local newspaper:-“Shortly afterwards he joined his cousin, Captain Bull, who, with a detachment of his regiment (H.M. 99th), was stationed on the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), in charge of a stockade where some 300 convicts were engaged in road-making. In 1846 Mr. Bellairs accompanied, as a cadet, the first overland expedition that ever attempted to reach South Australia by the Darling River. This party was organised by a Mr. Ray, with a view of taking to Adelaide a mob of cattle and horses. The trip took ten months to accomplish. At the time, they were considered to have been very fortunate in getting through, as the blacks were known to be the very worst they could have encountered, and more especially as the expedition numbered only sixteen all told. Shortly after his arrival in Adelaide, Mr. Bellairs received an appointment on the survey staff, under Captain Frome, R.E., and at the end of the ‘forties’ surveyed a road through the 120 mile scrub desert between the Murray River, near Lake Alexandra, and the Tatitara country. This subsequently, in 1850, became the highway to the Victorian Goldfields, effecting a saving of some seventy-five miles, as compared with the old Mount Gambier Road. Mr. Bellairs, after the action at the Eureka Stockade, took cypher despatches for the officer in charge of the Ballarat military encampment—a Major Thomas—to General Macarthur, whom he found encamped at Ballan, on his way with reinforcements to support that officer. About 1862 Mr. Bellairs returned to New Zealand, and was engaged by the Government in making surveys under the late Major Heaphy, during active operations in the Waikato.” Mr. Bellairs was married in Tasmania in 1855 to the second daughter of Mr. H. Priaulx, Assistant Commissary General of that colony.