The outsider who brought South Westland to the world
A chance meeting in the trenches during World War One led English born Eric Edward James to leave his home in Sussex and travel to New Zealand where he spent more than 10 years exploring South Westland.
A raft made from a bathtub and flax sticks was used to cross the Hollyford River estuary. Canterbury Museum 20233924
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A raft made from a bathtub and flax sticks was used to cross the Hollyford River estuary. Canterbury Museum 20233924
He brought South Westland to the world
A chance meeting in the trenches during World War One led English born Eric Edward James to leave his home in Sussex and travel to New Zealand where he spent more than 10 years exploring South Westland.
Eric James enlisted in World War One when he was 17, having lied about his age. While stationed in France, he met Donald McPherson from Okuru (near Haast) in South Westland. The stories Donald told made Eric want to come and see the land for himself and he arrived in New Zealand soon after the end of the war. Eric visited his friend at Okuru and promptly fell in love with South Westland. In 1924, he married local woman Edith Gertrude Cuttance.
He was a great promoter of the wonders of South Westland, writing newspaper articles outlining its attractions for trampers, hunters and fishers. He became known as the person to contact if you needed a horse or a guide and facilitated many trips including that of geologist Francis Turner of Otago University.
Eric also promoted the virtues of a road over Haast Pass that would link Wanaka and Hokitika – it was eventually built in the 1960s.
In 1929 James was successful in his request to have a film made of the journey over Haast Pass. In February two government photographers and a “movie man” left Wanaka for the West Coast.Many photographs were taken along the route as well as 1,200 metres of film.
Following this journey Eric gave free lantern slide lectures across New Zealand. His talks were illustrated with “a large and splendid collection of lantern slides”, copies of which are now held by Canterbury Museum.
A second expedition
The following year Eric set off on another expedition, this time to explore the area north of Milford Sound, which was almost totally umapped by Europeans, to “seek an easy coastal route” between Milford Sound and Martins Bay at the mouth of the Hollyford River. His companions were photographers William Watson and another who worked for the Auckland Weekly News, probably William Barbour Beattie (1902–1991).
The party left Makarora on 27 May 1930 and were away for 11 weeks, travelling over Haast Pass, through Okuru and then down to the Coast via the Cascade Valley. The boulder beaches are difficult for both people and horses and it was probably with some relief that they reached Martins Bay. The group spent some time in the Hollyford and Pyke valleys before the Auckland Weekly News photographer left for Queenstown. The remaining two men wanted to travel further south and were joined by Martins Bay resident Malcolm McKenzie.
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A portrait of Eric James in 1923.
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Eric James and others at the Fox Glacier Hostel, probably in 1929. Eric is on the right wearing his trademark hat. Canterbury Museum 2023.39.96
The men crossed the estuary of the Hollyford River in a precarious raft made from a bathtub and bundles of flax sticks before heading south to the Kaipo River. The party then followed the Kaipo River to its source and set up a base camp. Eric continued on alone while Watson and McKenzie retraced their steps to get more supplies. This plan was scuppered when they couldn't access a boat needed to meet Eric later on his route.
Eric navigated the saddle between the Kaipo and Wolf (now Professor) Creek catchments and then carried on to the saddle at the head of the John O’Groats River. From a ridge to the east of this saddle he saw two lakes, which he later visited, and a route that was possibly O’Leary Pass.
Eric then travelled down the river to the coast and headed south to make the rendezvous with Watson and McKenzie, not knowing that they were not coming. Low on provisions, he turned back.
Heading north he turned inland up Sydney Creek and crossed a low range to reach base camp in the Kaipo Valley 12 days later. He then rejoined his party at Martins Bay and after a few days rest, the group travelled back to Okuru and on to Makarora.
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The route was difficult going on the stony coast of South Westland. Canterbury Museum 2023.39.11
Eric had found two previously unmapped lakes, explored the John O'Groats River from the coastline to its source and found “an easy overland route connecting Milford Sound and Hollyford Valley” and followed a “…hitherto unexplored valley” to its source. Ever the promoter, Eric undertook another lecture tour and talked up these routes.
A house fire
Despite Eric’s enthusiasm for South Westland, he wasn’t universally well liked. He was a man who spoke his mind and believed in the law. When he became a Fisheries Act Ranger he fell out with (WD) Dinnie Nolan, the patriarch of the Haast district, and life there was made uncomfortable for him. The family moved to Makarora but misfortune followed. In 1931 seven of his horses were shot and many of his sheep shot or drowned. Then his house at Makarora caught on fire. Eric was away but Edith and their three children escaped in their nightwear.
The James family moved to Dunedin where Eric sold milk from a herd of Jersey cows. He was still promoting South Westland, giving talks and advocating for a road between Makarora and Hokitika.
Eric enlisted was killed in action in Egypt on 15 July 1942. Shortly before his death, Eric went mountaineering trip in Syria with two mates. He was survived by his wife Edith and six children. One of his grandsons donated Eric’s collection of lantern slides to Canterbury Museum, allowing his story and exploration to be publicly recognised.
By Senior Curator Human History Julia Bradshaw
13 June 2024
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Raymond Priestley, (left) George Murray Levick and Frank Browning on 24 September 1912. The day before they headed out to escape Inexpressible Island. Canterbury Museum UD2023.2.1136
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Raymond Priestley, (left) George Murray Levick and Frank Browning on 24 September 1912. The day before they headed out to escape Inexpressible Island. Canterbury Museum UD2023.2.1136
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