Pictured is Moness surrounded by trees in the bottom centre of the photo.
The story of Moness begins with Hugh Sinclair’s arrival in New Zealand in 1839. About nine years later, he purchased land in Wainuiomata and built two houses. The first house was destroyed by a flood, prompting him to construct the second one on higher ground, naming it Moness. It was in Moness that Hugh and his wife Agnes raised their four children, two sons and two daughters.
As Hugh became more established, he expanded his land holdings to 2,500 acres and set up a timber mill, employing around 50 workers.
Source: Prouse Sinclair Cemetery.
