Date of Birth1847Date of Death06/04/1947OccupationBusiness OwnerFarmer StorekeeperPlace of ResidenceWarepaMilton OwakaSpouseJane Nisbett Young ChildAnnie Louisa Reay nee Green (adopted)Sarah Daisy Dabinett Pinkerton nee Green (adopted)Emily Ann Loomers nee Green (adopted)ParentJob DabinettSophie Hector
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BiographyGeorge Dabinett, born in Somerset England on 29th December 1846, travelled with his family on the Isabel Hercus to New Zealand in 1855. The voyage took six months to reach Lyttleton. From there the family travelled a further several days to Port Chalmers before undertaking a four-day walk to Warepa where relatives resided. The walk included travelling Lake Waihola via rowboat.
The family set about building a clay house, and clearing their 300acres of land, at Warepa, which remained largely in bush. During this time, George and his siblings became first day pupils of Warepa School upon it's opening in 1858.
George married Jane Nisbett Young on October 30th, 1873. Two-years later the couple shifted to Owaka where George, and his brother-in-law Sam Young, founded Dabinett and Young's Store.
The couple lived in Owaka for 22-years where they became important members of the community. At this time, Owaka had no doctor, nor dentist, and George became the unofficial doctor for his community. George stitched wounds, set bones, pulled teeth, and even carried out inquests into accidental deaths. He also took the role of the local Justice of Peace and Post Master.
During their time in Owaka, the Dabinett's adopted the three youngest daughters of Sarah and William Green after Sarah died in childbirth.
The Dabinett home was a "well-known centre of hospitality so much so that scores of residents in the Catlins district looked upon them as being their foster parents."
In 1896, the Dabinett's purchased a sheep farm at Fairlie. They remained there for 30 odd years, before retiring to Milton where their eldest daughter Annie Louisa Reay lived. George, despite being in his 80s, purchased a farm at Waronui.
George celebrated his 100th birthday, surround by family and friends, at the Milton hospital which operated in part as a retirement home. At the time, he noted to the newspaper that he felt he could go on for another 100-years. Sadly, only four-months after, George passed away.
He is buried in the Owaka Cemetery with his wife Jane.
