Donations mark family's reunion

Hazlett family members and family reunion committee members (from left) Nick Hazlett, of Arrowtown, Roman Lee-Lo, of Arrowtown, Elizabeth Hazlett, of Drummond, Marie Bolt, of Perth, Jonny Hazlett, of Drummond, and Kate Brown, of Sydney, gather in Clyde ye
Hazlett family members and family reunion committee members (from left) Nick Hazlett, of Arrowtown, Roman Lee-Lo, of Arrowtown, Elizabeth Hazlett, of Drummond, Marie Bolt, of Perth, Jonny Hazlett, of Drummond, and Kate Brown, of Sydney, gather in Clyde yesterday. Photo: Pam Jones.
About 130 people gathered in Clyde at the weekend to celebrate the contribution of an illustrious pioneer and the family he started.

The family reunion celebrated one of the branches of early settler James Hazlett's family and some additional reminders of the Hazlett family were donated to the Clyde community during the celebrations, reunion committee member Roman Lee-Lo said.

James Hazlett set up as a merchant in Clyde in 1861 and became one of Central Otago's ''founding fathers'', going on to serve in public office as a mayor of Clyde, a justice of the peace, an inaugural councillor of the Otago Provincial Council for the Clyde district and on various boards, including as a director of The Perpetual Trustees Estate and Agency Company of NZ (now known as Perpetual Guardian), Mr Lee-Lo said.

The family reunion was for the branch of James and Agnes Hazlett's (nee Coleman) eldest son, William Thomas Hazlett, who married Kate Stephenson.

The reunion was also attended by Marie Bolt, of Perth, who was descended from James Hazlett's second-eldest son, Luke Clyde Hazlett, and was the eldest remaining grandchild of James Hazlett, Mr Lee-Lo said.

Another of James Hazlett's sons, Edgar Christophers Hazlett, was a former managing director and chairman of the Otago Daily Times in its early days, as was Edgar Hazlett's father-in-law, Sir George Fenwick, Mr Lee-Lo said. Sir George was also a long-time editor of the Otago Daily Times.

The family members at the reunion came from as far as London and Australia, and about half came from Otago, he said. About half of the attendees also still had Hazlett as their surname.

The reunion featured a tour of historic Clyde conducted by Clyde Historical Museum curator John Hanning, and a presentation to the museum. The family donated a frame with a photo of James Hazlett's eldest grandchild, John Stephenson Hazlett. He was killed at Cassino in World War 2. The frame also held an Egyptian cotton napkin James Stephenson sent to his cousin, Marie Bolt.

The family donated to the community a commemorative park seat, installed at the old Clyde Railway Station reserve.

pam.jones@odt.co.nz

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