William Hopwood

  General Notes:

William was 8 years old when he came to New Zealand with his parents. He attended the Ashburton Borough School, and later the Tinwald School. When he left school he was engaged with his father in drain-laying work by contract on the Longbeach Estate, where large tracts of land were being drained by John Grigg.

In 1898 he was engaged by Mr Grigg to take charge of a large grain store at Winslow (Railway siding) for the storing, pending shipment, of the huge quantities of wheat and oats that were harvested on "Longbeach".

In 1907 he purchased a general store from a Mr C Hawkins in Tinwald. Later he took charge of the Tinwald branch of W H Collins & Co, afterwards being employed by Buchanans Ltd, flourmillers.

It was after that he was appointed as foreman for the Ashburton County Council, and he was held in the highest esteem by that body. He set a high example as a workman and his cheerful and kindly disposition endeared him to the Council's staff with whom he worked.

For many years he had been well known to the men who tramped up and down the province looking for work, and his charitable deeds were recounted in practically every part of the South Island by men whom he had assisted. In this way he did more than any other man in the county, and he did it in a way few knew of. His home, on the south side of the Ashburton traffic bridge, was sought out by travellers at all hours of the day and night, and he never refused a meal to any of these men.

He took a prominent part in the movement which resulted in the building of the hut for itinerant men by the Ashburton Hospital Board. This hut, built near his home, was placed in his charge and so well did he attend to the men who made use of it, that it was early dubbed 'Paradise'. a compliment to William Hopwood.

It was for his unfailing kindness to those who wore in need and who were distressed that William was best known. He had great kindness of heart and no one who was in need of assistance applied to him in vain. He went out of his way to help the families of relief workers and to cheer on those unfortunate men who, in search of work, were tramping through Ashburton. He went about his work quietly, and many a kindly service he rendered was not known generally till long afterwards.

After his death in 1933, the grateful relief workers whom he had helped, purchased a seat which remains to this day at the corner of Carters Terrace and State Highway 1, Tinwald, as a memorial.

At the time of the Boer War William was a member of Colonel Buckleys Ashburton Mounted Rifles, and held the rank of Quartermaster-Sergeant. He rode a horse which he trained to do tricks.

William also restarted Scouting in Tinwald in 1914 after several years in recession. In the 42 years in which he was a member of the Ashburton Salvation Army Corps he made countless friends through his social service work. He took a keen interest in every phase of Army work, and it was through his efforts that the Waterton Outpost was established. For 15 years he was closely connected with the Army's Sunday School. He was appointed Superintendent of the Sunday School branch at Fairton, where he did excellent work.

William married Mary Williams on 4 Jul 1897. (Mary Williams was born in Wateryon and died on 24 May 1950.)