Edward Chalmers had a lot to do with the copper mine on Great Barrier Island up until 1845.  

Edward Chalmers was born 22 February, 1813 in Liverpool, England. His father, Thomas, was a visiting surgeon at the Kirkdale Gaol two miles north of Liverpool from 1821-1859. Nothing much is known about Edward’s education. He is said to have been an architect but didn't seem to practice his profession. He arrived in Sydney, New South Wales on 9 June 1841 on the "Margaret" from Liverpool.

On 5^th November, 1842 he is seen signing his name as a member of an emigration committee with others, including William Eppes Cormack to a letter, as an Auckland settler .  

In the following account by William Spain, it can be seen that Chalmers was at Great Barrier Island at the coppermine.

            “Account of the disturbance between the Maketu and the Tauranga natives by Mr William Spain.

.Embarked from Auckland, Tuesday, 29th November, 1842, onboard Her Majesty's Colonial Brig Victoria:- Willoughby Shortland, Esq., the Officer administering the Government of New Zealand, Mrs Shortland, Wm. Spain, Esq., Capt. Best, 80th regiment, Messrs Freeman, Leech, Edward Shortland, George Clark jun., William Cooper, John Johnson, Edward Meurant, native chief Poepoe, and several of his tribe.
Nov. 30th - Arrival at the Great Barrier Island at 4 0'clock a.m., and anchored in the harbour; went on board Her Majesty's store-ship Tortoise, which we found moored there, waiting for spars for the British Navy. Her commander, Mr Wood, was absent in the bush with the greater part of her crew. Mr Bowen, the master's mate, lent us a fine six-oared gig, and accompanied Mr Shortland, Captain Best, and myself, in her to the copper mine, where we found Mr Kinghorne (the manager), Mr Taylor, Mr Chalmers, and about twelve men at work. They were living in tents, but had commenced building a wooden house and store... On our return we rowed into a very spacious cavern with a magnificent vaulted roof. The cave was about 50 feet in length, with deep clear water, and we rowed to the very end of it, and it was wide enough to turn the boat around, which we did, and came out. On returning to the harbour, I landed, dined, and slept at Captain Nagle's. I was very pleased with the scenery of this harbour, the view from the house was very beautiful.”

He was aboard either the brig Terror or the brig Tryphena, on various voyages back and forth across the Tasman.

Departed Sydney on the Tryphena 9^th June, 1843.  

Shipping List

Departures

September 20^th, Tryphena, Horn, for the Barrier and Sydney, Passengers Messrs Abercrombie, Chalmer and Barnes.

Daily Southern Cross 23 Sept 1843 p2

Tryphena departing Great Barrier Island 16 December 1843 to Sydney

Edward Chalmer is mentioned in a 53 page paper called ‘Great Barrier Copper Mine Project’ by Victoria Grouden, 1990. 

Page 33 says…

“As demonstrated, the details of ownership and operation of the mine during the decade 1844-54 are extremely confused. Between 1844 and 1854 the Barrier Estate changed hands at least four times and the transfer of the estate at regular intervals to different individuals and parties indicates that problems were regularly encountered in the financing of the mining venture and in its operation in general. The estate was officially granted by her Majesty to Abercrombie & Co in 1844 who promptly sold a share of it to a Mr Edward Chalmer, also acting as general manager with power of attorney. The property , composed of three separate grants, was mortgaged only a few months later on the 1^st January, 1845 to Messrs Campbell and Smith………”

In appendix 1 on  page 45, it says….

“1844, July 15  Portion of the Estate sold to Edward Chalmer, also granted power of attorney. Whitaker Heale Pap.  [This means its source is the Whitaker Heale Papers that I are in the Auckland Museum Library- DJA]

Chalmer Mr Tryphena  Passenger 19/8/1844 Auckland  Sydney Morning Herald

Shipping List

Arrivals

October 22^nd Terror schooner from Sydney, Passengers Messrs Falconer, Anderson, Taylor, Ross, and Chalmer.

Daily Southern Cross 26th October, 1844, p2

"Terror"    Leaving Kawau (21.1.1845 Bay of Islands) Chalmers E Esq Terror Passenger 4/2/1845 Auckland, Bay of Islands

Sydney Morning Herald

April 25….Terror from Auckland 13^th, and the Barrier 16^th April, with timber and manganese, 20 adults and 27 children passengers.

April 26 - Sailed the Tryphena for Liverpool. Passengers - Messrs Edward Chalmers, John Mawson, Charles Capel, Richard B. Payne, Thomson Bonner, H. Edenborough, J.M. Strauss and Master Hindmarsh.

Courier (Hobart, Tasmania) Tuesday 20^th May, 1845 p2.

The Tryphena sailed to Liverpool via Great Barrier Island. Edward Chalmers has left some pencil drawings done as he approached the island on this voyage.

Tryphena arrived 21 October 1845 Liverpool, England

Edward Chalmers went home to Liverpool, as his younger brother Tom, a doctor, was ill, and died in 1850. Edward sailed for Melbourne on the Christina, a 247 ton barque, from Liverpool on 16th February, 1853, arriving on 6th June, 1853. 

He married in Melbourne in 1859 and finally settled in Dunedin, New Zealand.  He was a member of the first Dunedin City Council in 1865/1867. Laura MacDuff has supplied a photo of Edward Chalmers and others near Dunedin in 1865. He died in 1880.

 click on image to enlarge.