Thomas Cawthron: a most generous man with an amazing Legacy
Thursday, 1 June 2017
This is my last article for the season, and I'm taking the opportunity to write about a man who has possibly made the biggest difference to 'our place' since Europeans settled here.
A walking tour of our town is an experience of Thomas Cawthron's generosity and foresight.
Cawthron had amassed a substantial fortune through interests in mining, shipping and well-placed investments during the second half of the 19th Century. After retiring in 1884, he began thinking about ways to use this money for good.
He sought advice from close friends Fred Gibbs and Joseph Cock about what the Nelson region needed to make it a better place to live. Quietly Cawthron helped many individuals suffering hardship, and contributed to relief funds, church organisations and educational endeavours. He also made more public donations.
Cawthron's appreciation of culture is reflected in gifts of money towards a library, museum, the Nelson School of Music, and its organ, and the impressive granite steps leading to Nelson Cathedral. I understand he found the original wooden steps insufficiently grand, and agreed to fund the project if a quality design and materials were used. He stated a desire for 'a real good job, bold, massive and ornamental'.
Cawthron showed his care for others through gifts to Nelson's Public Hospital, the Nurses Home, extending the chain-links on Rocks Road (to enhance safety). Finally, his environmental interest was reflected in gifting the 1000ha Cawthron Park in the head of the Maitai and Roding catchments.
To get an idea of the value of this contribution in today's dollars, we can look at wages then and now. In the 1920s, senior scientists received £2 per week. Today senior scientists earn around $2000 in the same time. Applying the same differential to Cawthron's earlier gifts gives a total donation to the City – while alive – of $12m in today's terms.
However, his most major donation was after his death in 1915. Through life he had excelled at making money; death provided an opportunity to gift it. Cawthron left instructions that the residual of his estate – equivalent to around $115m today – be used to erect and maintain an institute devoted to science and technology.
Although Cawthron hadn't included the words 'science' or 'research' in his will, he discussed them regularly and, at the time of his death, both were preferred tools for problem solving.
If Cawthron was here today, I think he would be thrilled to see that Cawthron Institute is in good health with 200 scientists employed there. Current Chief Executive, Charlie Eason says 'our expertise and experience in progressing core research through to practical industry solutions is well-suited to Thomas Cawthron's philosophy. The Institute continues to produce innovative research and turn new ideas into reality'.
Another who would share pride in the Cawthron Institute today is Sir Thomas Hill Easterfield, the first Director who, in the 1917 inaugural Cawthron Lecture, said:
'I foretell a brilliant future for this institute. The problems solved in it will lead to results of the greatest value to this city, to the Dominion and to the human race. And the institute itself is destined to become a centre of light, learning and culture honoured throughout the civilized world, and a lasting tribute to the memory of Thomas Cawthron.'
How about a tour of Nelson City to marvel at the very generous gifts that this – from what I can gather – unassuming man made.
We all benefit from Thomas Cawthron's philanthropy. You may choose to follow his leadership and create your own legacy. You can support science and the environment through the Cawthron Foundation (Phone 03 539 4336). Or you might specify another project in the region, through the Nelson Bays Community Foundation (03 546 6323).
elizabeth@greenaway.co.nz