In the hunt for the grave of Ann Williams I found her death notice in the Lyttleton Times. I was asked by WuHoo Timaru Facebook followers why the local papers did report her death as well. So here's a blog to explain. In the 1860s Timaru's news was reported by newspapers outside of the region. Papers like Lyttleton were acused of slanting the story to support their harbourworks. It was time that Timaru took the propoganda into their own hands, and so on 11 June 1864 the first editions was printed. The Herald was founded by Alfred George Horton and Ingram Shrimpton. The first issue was printed on 11 June 1864. The original publication was weekly.
The first edition was printed in the Williams Kitchen! "First edition of the Timaru Herald. It was printed in a small room, a detached kitchen in the George Street cottage on a hand press. You can see early editions here: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/timaru-herald
In the hunt for the grave of Ann Williams, I found her death notice not in a Timaru publication, but in the Lyttelton Times. That is because when she died in 1860, Timaru did not yet have its own newspaper. At the time, local news was reported by newspapers from outside the region, often with a biased slant. Papers like the Lyttelton Times were accused of favouring their own port developments, distorting regional news in the process.
All of this makes for a challenging search... it feels a bit impossible that we will ever find her now, and it might be time to put into action plan B, creating a memorial to her...?
"The Timaru Herald was first published in 1864, operating from a dwelling on lower George Street owned by Mrs. S. Williams. The newspaper later relocated further west along George Street, and subsequently to premises on Stafford Street. These were destroyed in the town’s “Great Fire” of 1868. In 1887, the Herald was purchased by Mr. E. G. Kerr, then proprietor of the South Canterbury Times, an evening newspaper published in Church Street. The Times operated out of premises now owned by H. J. R. Somerville and Sons Ltd—formerly the Levels County Council chambers."
In the same year the reserve was set aside for the Timaru Botanic Gardens - making it one of the oldest Botanic Gardens in NZ.
Timaru District Libraries hold nearly a complete bound set from 1864 until the present. The years 1864-1945 have been fully digitised and are available via the National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) Papers Past website. This site also includes newspaper clippings on a variety of topics from the 1950s until the early 2000s. Please note the clippings featured below relate to The Timaru Herald itself. To browse all newspaper clippings please select "Newspaper Clippings Collection" on the right. https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/
The Timaru Herald is the daily newspaper in Timaru. It has been published continuously since 1864. In the 1870s it was one of New Zealand’s most important newspapers.
The Herald was founded by Alfred George Horton and Ingram Shrimpton. The first issue was printed on 11 June 1864. Originally publication was weekly.
The Herald was set up to promote the interests of Timaru and Gladstone districts against those of the Canterbury province to which they belonged. People in the Timaru area thought they were not getting a fair share of the revenues collected by the provincial government. Horton’s involvement in this issue is very clear; he helped promote a bill in parliament setting up the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works. This gave Timaru more control of expenditure on public works in the area and seems to have satisfied the local desire for independence from Canterbury.
In 1866 the Herald became a bi-weekly, and in 1871 Horton sold to Herbert Belfield. Horton went on to become one of the most important newspaper publishers in New Zealand when, in 1876 he joined the Wilson family to create Wilson and Horton, the publishers of the New Zealand Herald for so many years.
In the 1870s the Timaru Herald developed into a significant newspaper with a national reputation. This was largely due to the editor Edward Wakefield. Wakefield, the nephew of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, was an able and hard-hitting writer who was active in both local and national affairs. He was a Member of the House of Representatives in the 1870s and 1880s. As editor of the Herald he led campaigns that gained Timaru a port and waterworks. In parliament he had a reputation as a fierce debater but also for fickleness, which probably prevented him from achieving high office. In 1876 he was summoned to appear before the House of Representatives on a charge of breach of privilege after he wrote an article in the Herald that impugned the integrity of the current Members. The charges were dropped after Wakefield apologised to the House. During Wakefield’s term the paper began daily publication. He left the Herald in 1885 when he moved to Wellington.
During the 1880s the Herald ran into financial difficulties. The Timaru Herald Company was formed to take over ownership with Herbert Belfield retained as the manager of the newspaper. In 1886 the paper was leased by its mortgagees to Joseph Ivess, an indefatigable founder and owner of newspapers in New Zealand in the 19th century. Ivess is reckoned to have started twenty-six newspapers; characteristically he did not stay with the Herald for long.
In 1887 the paper was sold to Edward George Kerr. Kerr already owned another Timaru newspaper, the South Canterbury Times. Kerr ran the Times and the Herald from the same building, with the Herald published in the morning and the Times in the evening. The Times was closed in 1901 as part of a deal Kerr made with the other morning paper, the Timaru Post. Kerr persuaded the Post to switch to evening publication, becoming in effect the evening edition of the Herald. In 1923 the Herald began to subsidise the Post to keep it going. The Post ceased in 1939.
The Kerr family owned and managed the Herald until the 1980s when it was sold to Independent Newspapers Limited (INL). In 2003 ownership passed to the Fairfax Group. The name of the company was changed to Stuff Ltd in 2018, and in 2020 Sinead Boucher bought the company from Fairfax’s Australian owners for $1, bringing the Timaru Herald and other newspapers back into local ownership.
Glimpse of the past: The Timaru Herald Building (20 Aug 1977). Aoraki Heritage Collection, accessed 04/06/2025, https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/580
Harlau House Café, situated just outside Timaru on Beaconsfield Road, is steeped in local history. The homestead was constructed in 1890 by Edward George Kerr, an early owner of the Timaru Herald. Designed by French architect Maurice de H’Arven Duval, the building features distinctive “quoin” blockwork—alternating long and short concrete blocks—a hallmark of Duval's architectural style. Duval also designed notable structures like the Convent of Mercy in Timaru and St Mary’s Church in Geraldine. The name "Harlau" is a combination of the names of Kerr's children, Harry and Laura. Harry drowned as a child in the Washdyke Lagoon, and Laura died as a young woman. In 1945, Kerr's grandson, R.H. Kerr, acquired the property and undertook significant renovations two years later. In 1945, Kerr's grandson, R.H. Kerr, acquired the property and initiated extensive renovations two years later. Today, the former brick stables have been transformed into Harlau House Café.
The Kerr family significantly influenced Timaru's media landscape and community development from the late 19th century through the 20th century.
Edward George Kerr Sr. (1844–1906)
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1844. Edward George Kerr Sr. immigrated to New Zealand in 1861. He initially settled in Kaiapoi, where he served as mayor, before moving to Timaru. In 1881, he acquired the South Canterbury Times, and in 1887, he purchased the Timaru Herald, consolidating both newspapers under his ownership. The Herald was published in the morning, while the Times served as the evening edition until its closure in 1901. Kerr Sr. also constructed a dedicated building for the South Canterbury Times in 1884, which later housed the Levels County Council offices. Kerr was also active in politics, contesting the 1890 Timaru by-election as an independent candidate. Although he was not elected, his candidacy reflected his engagement in public affairs. Edward George Kerr Sr. passed away in 1906 and is buried in Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand. His contributions to journalism and public service left a lasting impact on the Timaru community. aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz
Edward George Kerr Sr. (1844–1906) was married to Elizabeth Goldthorpe. They wed on 25 September 1867 at St John the Baptist Church in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. Elizabeth was originally from Cheshire, England, and she predeceased Edward by a few years. Together, they had a large family. The family relocated to Timaru when Kerr Sr. acquired the Timaru Herald in 1887. Their children, including Edward George Kerr Jr. (born circa 1876), Laura Elizabeth Kerr, Mary Ann Kerr, Maria Margaret Kerr, Maude Margaret Kerr, Edith Agnes Kerr, Henry Stanley Kerr, Charles Eustace Kerr, Albert Ernest Kerr, Evelyn Kerr, Francis James Kerr, May Kerr, and Ethel Harlan Kerr.
Edward George Kerr Jr. (1876–1942)
Born in Kaiapoi, Edward George Kerr Jr. was the son of Edward George Kerr Sr. He began his career at the Timaru Herald as an office boy and rose to become its manager in 1900. In 1906, the newspaper was reorganized into a limited liability company, with Kerr Jr. serving as managing director. He maintained this role until his death in 1942 .wikitree.comnatlib.govt.nz
Staff of the "Timaru Herald", June, 1934
Those pictured are identified on the mount, below the print, as (presumably from left to right):
BACK ROW: J Parfitt, J Milne, J R Wham, A S Harvey, J M Hay, J Sherwin, M C I Maclaren, A K Provan, N R Johnston, P Collins;
FOURTH ROW: G C Darroch, J D Meechin, G S Griffiths, L Abraham, C J Newman, M Baker, A E Hall, J C Hayhurst, F Morgan, P L D Hornbrook;
THIRD ROW: J C Davey, J J Mason, R C Skipper, A Irvine, W Morgan, P C Harding, W J McPherson, C J Dewar, A E Gunn, E T McLaughlan, C F Gunderson;
SECOND ROW: R H Davey, F J Mulvihill, W V J Smith, J S Whitehead, G J Gaffaney, S Scales, Miss T Ziesler, Mrs S Black, Miss G McIntosh, Miss L Wills, A D Mangos, J M Kerr, E G Kerr (Jnr), A A Wakefield;
SITTING: R Campbell, H W McKay, S H Harrow, J R Gilford, A J Allport, A E Lawrence, A M Parker, W Vance, G M Arthur;
Absent: C E Hassall, R N Downes
Richard Harlau Kerr (1916–1995)
The son of Edward George Kerr Jr., Richard Harlau Kerr continued the family's legacy in media and public service. He served as chairman of the Timaru Herald Company and was recognized for his contributions to the community. In 1984, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to the New Zealand Hospital Boards Association and the community .en.wikipedia.org The Kerr family's stewardship of the Timaru Herald spanned nearly a century, concluding in the 1980s when the newspaper was sold to Independent Newspapers Limited (INL). This long-standing association underscores the family's integral role in shaping Timaru's journalistic and civic landscape .paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18008, 13 July 1928, Page 1 (Supplement) https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/timaru-herald/1928/07/13/17