DescriptionGeorge Edward Bertenshaw was the son of Alice Walker and Thomas Bertenshaw. He was born in 1831 in Lancashire, England and had nine siblings. On 25 November 1860 he married Martha Wood. For a few years the couple lived at Denton where George worked as a carpenter and Martha as a cotton weaver.
The couple immigrated to New Zealand in the early 1860s. They had eight children.
The first indication that George was operating on the Waipori Goldfields was in April 1870 when he applied to construct a water race to bring water to his claim for washing gold.
George died on 17 April 1895 aged 65, at the Tuapeka Hospital. Following George's death, Martha and their son Benjamin each applied for a residence area at the junction of the Lawrence Waitahuna Road. Martha died on 7 April 1907, aged 71 years and is buried at Waipori with George and their sons Benjamin and William.
This information comes from page 38-39 of David Still's 'Gold Beneath Dark Waters | The People of Waipori.' You can read more in-depth details of George's goldmining history in this book. PhotographerUnknown DateC.1860RightsThis item is out of copyright. ContributorWaipori Goldfields Charitable Trust
