Joseph Holland, Nelson Brewer

Joseph Henry Holland (1851-1925) was a brewer and winemaker, operating on Waimea Road in Bishopdale, Nelson.

This  business was initially established by Mr. J. Chapman, and taken over by Holland  in 1898. The grounds, alongside the main road, covered over two acres, all in orchard, with four heated glass houses, devoted to vine and cucumber growing. The orchard grew apple, peach, plum, and cherry trees and the vegetable section grew cabbages, broad beans, asparagus and tomatoes, both under glass and in the open.  Mr Holland personally supervised the brewery and brewed light ale only from Nelson hops and barley. Wine was produced from grapes, parsnip, gooseberry, peach, plum, and tomato, and bottled on premises.

Advertisement. The Colonist, 11 March 1899 p.1
Click to enlarge

Mr. Holland was born in Wakefield, Nelson, in 1850, the son of Mr. George Holland (Junior). He was educated in Wakefield, and was a sawmiller for nearly twenty years before setting up as a brewer at Owen's Reefs, Central Buller with a partner for five or six years. 

George Holland (Junior)

Obituary: "Death of Mr George (Junior) Holland.  By the death of Mr George Holland, at Foxhill on June 13 1905, aged 80 one of the fast thinning band of settlers of the early forties has been removed from our midst. Mr Holland was born at Alton, Hampshire, in 1825, and he came to New Zealand with his parents in the ship Bolton, landing at Nelson in 1842. Being then a lad, he joined the "boy's gang" of the New Zealand Company, and was employed at Richmond. He then went to the Wairau, where he was employed on the station of the late Mr Gouland. Returning to Nelson, he married, at the age of 21, Miss Allport, of Stoke, and went farming at Wakefield. Subsequently he moved to Wairau , and farmed there for some years. At this period Mr Holland used to go to the Wairau for the shearing every year, and had to do the journey on foot, carrying his swag. After a time he bought a steam threshing machine. and carried on business till his plant was burned on the late Mr E. Green's property, "The Sands." He then went sawmilling at Wakefield, subsequently carried on the same business at Foxhill, to which place he removed some 37 or 38 years ago. After sawmilling for a number of years, he turned his attention to hop-growing, and continued as a grower up to his death. Mr Holland was a member of the late Waimea Road Board, and was Chairman of the local School Committee for years. He was twice married, his first wife dying about twenty-two years ago. There was no family by the second marriage; by the first marriage there were four daughters and six sons....  Mr Holland's second wife pre-deceased him about five years." 

2010. Updated May 2020

Related Stories

Do you have a story about this subject? Find out how to add one here.