Waikouaiti has seen its share of industrious and fascinating characters that have left their mark on the district.

A favourite remains the indomitable, somewhat controversial and larger than life protagonist that is John Jones. A self made man and legend in his own life time.

Born in modest circumstances in Sydney around 1808, by 1844 he was the settlement's primary landlord, employer and merchant. There are several fine books on him. I can recommend one in particular, by his great granddaughter Diana Harris, titled Johnny Jones, A Colonial Saga.

Through canny negotiations with tangatawhenua such as Tuhawaiki, the paramount chief of the Kai Tahu tribe, Jones set about taking ownership of the entire South Island. However, he had his ambitions deflated and bought back down to earth by the British Crown. As part of the signing of the 1840 Treaty, an immediate stop was put on flagrant buying up of land without the Crown's permission. Jones was denied most of his earlier purchases.

He fought bitter litigation through the courts for years but was largely thwarted, with the Crown conceding some of the titles. His influence in the district continued after his death in 1869 and even into present day. For example, though not a profoundly religious man himself, he never the less gave generously to all the denominations. He gifted the land and paid for the construction of the beautiful Anglican Parish of St John, built in 1858 (significantly today, the oldest functioning parish in Otago and Southland). Money and resources bequeathed to the parish in his will is what keeps its doors open to the community, and almost 150 years after his passing.

Here at the museum, as you might expect, we have a few interesting items associated with the great man. Some are touching and distinctly personal. On display in the bank chamber is an exquisite nightgown worn by his granddaughter Beatrice Victoria Robinson Jones. Next to this item and for another granddaughter, Florence Jones, we have pieces of beautiful silver cutlery manufactured in Edinburgh called The Royal Collection. Touchingly monogrammed JJ to FJ, it was commissioned as a wedding gift. We have an additional 20 pieces, which have neem returned from Toitu Museum in Dunedin.