James Stark (Junior)

James was born at 10 Lamb Street, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland on the 17th April 1870.

James Stark (junior) was 5 years old when he stepped off the Christian McAusland in Bluff, Southland, alongside his parents and two brothers – Robert and John. He was the first born and expectations were always high.

James Stark was the first of James and Rosina’s family born 17^th April 1870 at Hamilton, Lanarkshire, while they were living at 10 Lamb St. James was brought with them when they migrated to New Zealand to settle in Mataura in 1875.

In his younger days in Mataura, James excelled in athletics winning championships at weightlifting, hammer throwing, tossing the caber and other “power” sports. He devoted a lot of time to Rugby and represented Southland for many years during which time he spent many hours teaching youngsters the “skills” of rugby football. He held NZ records for the shot put.

He was a big man – 6’3″ to 6’4″ tall and very heavy and strong with it. Despite that, James was very musical and was for many years a member of the Mataura Brass Band, and it appears that he was eventually honoured with a life membership for long service and the teaching of youngsters. For a time, he was also a member of the Gore Rifles Volunteer Band. A photograph of the Band taken 1895/96 is held in the Gore Historical Society rooms which show James with his younger brothers Thomas and Charles.

James was also a very proficient Violinist and frequently held sing-songs around the fire with his family and friends leading them in singing with his strong Bass voice or playing his Violin. He delighted in teaching any youngster showing an interest in music to play an instrument.  James regularly attended the Salvation Army – primarily to enjoy the music. James was a very good whistler and could be heard whistling wherever he was.

James married Christina McCaskill, daughter of Donald and Christina nee Robertson, on the 3^rd of March 1896 at her parent’s home at their farm at East Gore. James had bought a property – lot 3 of Town Section 35 Block 16 – on the corner of Rose St. and Broughton St. 20^th September 1894 of 26 perches. On the 11^th September 1895 he purchased the adjacent section lot 4 also of 26 perches (658m²). It is not known what housing, if any, were on the sections but James sold them both to a William Thomas Wright 7^th October 1898.

There were 12 children to the marriage and James took delight in telling them little stories – generally very amusing – as a means of getting them to sleep. The children never really knew whether to believe him or not but he created enough doubt in their minds for them to question him on them. No doubt he amused them and made them laugh. He also taught the boys other “boyish” skills such as snaring rabbits and to ride his motorcycle and generally taking a real interest in his children.

In his younger days, James drove a coal truck (probably horse drawn in those years) for his Dad who operated a coalmine in Mataura. His primary occupation was on the railways as a ganger where he was well liked and a good worker despite having been warned several times for “dereliction of duty”. In 1905, he and his family moved to Balfour where they lived in a new railway house but, regrettably, a few years later he was dismissed from the Railway’s for being drunk on a jigger and going to sleep on the line and causing a train to stop. He must have been very fortunate that the train driver saw him in time to stop.

James is recorded as working on the railway whilst based in Balfour in the period 1913-1919.

Following this episode, he moved back to Gore and did casual work on farms and roads around the district and ploughed “Black Hills”. Eventually he went mining and became an underground overseer with responsibility for blasting and clearing operations. In 1925, while working at “Greens” mine, thought to be near Croydon Siding, with one of his sons – thought to have been Donald – he was extensively burned about the head and chest as a result of an accidental explosion. After several months in hospital and a further period of recuperation, the skin regenerated. At the time of his death, he still had soft clear skin where had been burned.

James had a problem – he liked his beer. Regularly he made his own from grain but using Horehound as flavouring and getting the yeast from the brewery. He made it to drink in the mine as mining was very hard and thirsty work. At Christmas and on some other “special” occasions he would get a keg in to shout for his many friends. Quite regularly, Christina and one or more of the children would tip about half of it down a drain at the bottom of the garden so he wouldn’t drink too much. It is not known if James knew or not, but if he did, then his kindly nature would enable him to accept it without malice – but probably with considerable disappointment. The children never suffered from his drinking problem.

It appears that, although there is no real knowledge to confirm, Christina’s family were rather narrow minded and did not like or accept James as a son-in-law. Christina was apparently rather more tolerant and while she was not “happily married” to James, she stayed with him until the youngest child was able to support herself. James had been a good father to their children but eventually his drinking habits drove her, Christina, out and she went to Dunedin about 1935. The younger children progressively followed her very soon afterwards.

James stayed on in Gore but when Christina died in 1944, James then moved to Dunedin to get better treatment for his diabetes and to be closer to his children that he loved.

James died at Tallboy’s Old Peoples’ Home aged 86 on 26^th November 1956.

The following is a summary of James and Christina’s children

Sporting Career

James was a very good sportsman from an early age. He competed in numerous events and won many titles setting records along the way. He played cricket and rugby for Mataura with his brother Robert and entered Caledonian games in his own right. The following article describes his career.

The end