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William Carruth
BiographyWilliam Carruth was the first European man to settle in Whangārei. Originally from Scotland, he left in 1835 and, after an attempt at farming in New South Wales, set out for New Zealand in early 1839. He arrived in the Bay of Islands and then travelled by trading boat down the coast to Whangārei.
The local Māori welcomed Carruth, seeing value in having a European -referred to as their “own Pākehā”- living among them. They built him a raupō whare (reed hut) on the waterfront, where he began building a life with characteristic grit, determination and good humour. During this time, he almost died after eating poisonous tutu berries but was saved by Māori remedies.
In 1840, his brothers Robert and John joined him. William and Robert purchased nearly 1,000 acres of land, including what is now central Whangārei, and built a wooden house on the waterfront. However, unrest in the region in 1845 forced the brothers to leave. Only William returned in 1856 when the government offered land in Kamo to him and Alexander Meldrum -making them the first European settlers of that area.
While John settled in Auckland and Robert moved to the western United States, William remained in Kamo for the rest of his life. From 1862 William Carruth held the office of Elder in his Presbyterian Church. In 1873, he petitioned the Auckland Education Board for the constitution of a school district of Kamo and subsequently, formal education of the children of Kamo began.
William Carruth never married and documented his experiences in the Carruth Papers. His legacy lives on in Whangārei through Carruth Street and the former Carruth House at Whangārei Boys’ High School, which closed in 2022.
Date of Birth1812Place of BirthScotlandDate of Death10 March, 1892Place of DeathKamoDate of Burial/Cremation12 March, 1892Place of Burial/CremationKamo Cemetery, Kamo, Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand
The local Māori welcomed Carruth, seeing value in having a European -referred to as their “own Pākehā”- living among them. They built him a raupō whare (reed hut) on the waterfront, where he began building a life with characteristic grit, determination and good humour. During this time, he almost died after eating poisonous tutu berries but was saved by Māori remedies.
In 1840, his brothers Robert and John joined him. William and Robert purchased nearly 1,000 acres of land, including what is now central Whangārei, and built a wooden house on the waterfront. However, unrest in the region in 1845 forced the brothers to leave. Only William returned in 1856 when the government offered land in Kamo to him and Alexander Meldrum -making them the first European settlers of that area.
While John settled in Auckland and Robert moved to the western United States, William remained in Kamo for the rest of his life. From 1862 William Carruth held the office of Elder in his Presbyterian Church. In 1873, he petitioned the Auckland Education Board for the constitution of a school district of Kamo and subsequently, formal education of the children of Kamo began.
William Carruth never married and documented his experiences in the Carruth Papers. His legacy lives on in Whangārei through Carruth Street and the former Carruth House at Whangārei Boys’ High School, which closed in 2022.
Date of Birth1812Place of BirthScotlandDate of Death10 March, 1892Place of DeathKamoDate of Burial/Cremation12 March, 1892Place of Burial/CremationKamo Cemetery, Kamo, Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand
Photo
Publication
"Auckland Bowling Association Tournament: Whangarei No.2 Team"
Robert Walrond, 18 April 1902
William Carruth. Northland Room Digital Collections, accessed 29/03/2026, https://wdc.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/5374
