Charles Wynford Greenwood HORNEMAN 1855 – 1931. (Part1)

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Part 1.

Charles was the youngest son of Frederick and Emma Horneman, born at Motueka New Zealand on Sunday 2nd December 1855, and known as Wynford. Wynford’s parents Frederick Edward Horneman (born 1803) and Emma Frances Devis (born 1814) were manied on the 20 August 1835 at Saint Benet Finct, Threadneedle Street, London, England. Frederick and Emma Horneman immigrated to New Zealand in 1852 on the ‘Slains Castle”with their 5 children. They settled in the Motueka District of New Zealand.

Wynford son Eric (Francis Eric Horneman) wrote about his father –

“From odd bits of conversation with him I know he worked for some time with a telegraph party extending the telephone system in New Zealand. He then came to Australia and took a job as cadet surveyor with a Licensed Surveyor by the name of Sweet. After passing his final surveyors exam he started out on his own – A good bit of time was spent on survey work in Sydney but I know at one time he was an the Tweed River area. Wynford’s sister Laura recorded in her diary “One of these younger brothers was articled to a Mr Pais..,…”.surveyor Christchurch – later he went to Sydney were he passed his final exams & it was many years before we saw him again in N Z.

On the 3 March 1882 Wynford left Australia on the ship Pofosi. His son Eric wrote; Evidently he got quite a bit of money together and then went ta England and spenf some time there looking up relations before going to Canada. He then went to the United Sfateg work was not plentiful on the eastern areas but there was plenty af survey work further west. However he found that it was in the area of severe winters and rough terrain so he came back to Australia.

Vllnford left America on 20 November 1882, according to Wynford’s diary he returned to Australia on R.M.S.S. Zealandia- Wynford’s diary recorded his return to Sydney on the 15December 1882- He wrote; Monday !8 December- Fine day, went to the Survey Office to report myself, so Mr G Lewis wished me to come back to the office on Tuesday.

Research of the NSlff Land and Property lnformation confirm Wynford was a Licensed Surveyor. He worked in NSW for many years. Counties and Parishes he surveyed & provided reports were –

. l883 Jellalabad, Kunumboon and Wollumbin.

. 1885 Vernon, Hawes, Bullerand Drake.

. 1886 Rudley and Buller.

. 1887 Bellbrook, Nulla Nulla Creek and Macleay Creek.

. 1891 Buller.

. 1899 to 1900 Acacia, Beaury, Clarence, Mandle and Maryland.

. 1900 to 1906 Buller.

. 1907 to 1923 Buller and Clive including the villages of Koreelah and Legume.

ln the period 1899 to 1923 Wynford’s work appears to have been located in the County of Buller including the parishes of Acacia, Gore, Koreelah, Kangaroo, Mandle and Beaury. Wynford may have worked in Queensland during the years 1899 to 1899 however there is no record to indicate this.

His son Eric wrote – he {Wynford} thought he would try his luck in Queensland, which was the land of promise in those days. He came up to Brisbane and got work straight away and got caught up in the land boom and when the crash came bang went the most of the 5,000 add that he had brought to Queensland. He then went up to north Queensland because the mineral boom was on.

During this period 1895 – 1899 it appears that Wynford travelled back to New Zealand. The New Zealand Gazette indicates that he may have travelled there on a number of occasions.

One record is –

1899 Issue on page 1445, dated I August, Public Works Office Wellington. lt is hereby notified that Charles Wynford Horneman has been appointed a shorthand writer in the Public Works Department of the Colony of New Zealand, commencing from the 1 March 1899.

Wynford’s son Eric wrote

After a while he returned to Brisbane and came up to Killarney (Qld) and bought a couple of farms there. Eric continues; “Then he got work again with the NSW department cutting up the stations between Tenterfield and hereabouts. The farm that Wynford bought at Klllarney (Qld) was called Felhamptan after the Urwick family home in Shropshire. This property appears to have been sold prior to Wynford purchasing the property at New Koreelah in 1901.

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