Early New Zealand Photographers: McEACHEN, John

John McEachen
London Portrait Rooms
Roxburgh

Tuapeka Times, Volume X, Issue 701, 5 September 1877, Page 3

— A Late-comer —

Mr John M'Eachern [sic], photographer, Winton, came to Dunedin in September, 1861, from Melbourne by the American ship Annie Kimball with about 450 others. Amongst these was Mr H. Coverlid, who opened a shaving saloon the day before reaching Port Chalmers, and did a roaring trade until anchor was dropped. Mr Coverlid afterwards had a shop at Wetherstones, and afterwards started a brewery, where the Black Horse Brewery was afterwards, Mr M'Eachern believes. The letter's uncle, Mr John M'Dowell, was also a passenger. He came to Otago in the Phillip Laing in 1848, but went to Victoria for the diggings. The news from Gabriel's Gully was very conflicting on arrival, many who were returning declaring the field to be worked out. Mr M'Dowell decided to go no further, and obtained work at his trade as bootmaker at Port Chalmers, afterwards opening the first bootmaker's shop at Balclutha — The Ferry it was then called. Mr M'Eachern's mate also decided to go no further, being a sailor, shipped on the three masted schooner John Bullock. Mr M'Eachern walked out to the farm on the Taieri of Mr John Allen, sen., who had come out to Nelson with his family in the same ship as Mr M'Eachern's parents. Mr John Allen, jun., and his brothers, who had done well at Wetherstones, advised Mr M'Eachern to go no further, and he returned to Dunedin, where he worked until December, when, with two other young fellows (all under 20) they set out for Gabriel's Gully. They could only make tucker in their claim, so they proceeded to Wetherstones and took up a claim on Post Office Hill. He worked on other parts of the field, and had a sluicing claim at the back of Solomon's store, Little Bourke street, and an interest in a tail race that was tunnelled under Russell's billiard saloon. On receiving news of Hartley and Reilly's discovery, he sold out. He followed most of the other rushes in Otago with varying success. His last try was at Hamilton's. He left there in 1864 for the Picton rush, voyaging in the ill-fated steamer City of Dunedin, which was lost with every soul on board a few trips later. He was not successful, and returned to Dunedin, where he started work as photographer.

Otago Witness, Issue 2983, 17 May 1911, Page 95