James Stuart was born in Edinburgh, Scotland to John and Mary (nee Cranston) Stuart. John was a brush maker, but James took up basket making as a trade before running away to sea.

James arrived in Australia and settled in Sydney. He lived there for the next seventeen years and may have worked as a basket maker. At some stage, James was married, however the details of that marriage are not known.

Susannah James was born in Southwark, Surry, England on 2 Dec 1837. She was the daughter of Thomas and Mary (nee Butcher) James. Thomas was a cabinet maker.

James is known to have worked as a sailor, basket maker, gold miner, hotel proprietor, store keeper, coal pit proprietor and ferry operator.

James Stuart left Australia and sailed to California to join the gold rush. He worked in the San Joaquin River in Sacremento, which is the chief stream in the southern part of the central valley of California. Later James moved to the Yuba River which is a small tributary in the far reaches of the Sacremento River. He mined a very successful gold claim in this area.

James Stuart left California and sailed to Australia where he joined the gold rush at Ballarat, then moved on to Bendigo. From here he moved to Melbourne and opened a basket making shop in Little Lonsdale Street.

Susannah James emigrated to Australia in around 1856. James Stuart moved to Collingwood where he built an hotel an operated it for a number of years. It was here that he met and married his second wife, Susannah James. The couple continued to run the hotel for some time and then moved to the diggings at Ballarat. James may have been mining here, but more likely he operated an hotel with Susannah.

The Stuarts adopted a baby girl. The child was the baby of a former hotel employee in Collingwood, Mary Ann Hudson, who was a Londoner. The father was George Creighton who came from Dundee in Scotland. Mr Creighton was a lemonade manufacturer in Melbourne. The baby was born in Melbourne on 3 Mar 1858. Mary Ann was unable to keep her and the Stuarts kindly offered to adopt the child. The baby was named Sarah Matilda Susannah (Susan).

James Stuart left his wife and baby at the Ballarat diggings and sailed for Dunedin. It was his intention to start up a basket making and tent manufacturing shop, then to send for his family. The shop was established in Princess Street - now the site of the Southern Cross Hotel.

James sent word to his family to join him in Dunedin. Mrs Stuart left the Ballarat diggings and made her way to Sydney to wait for a ship to Dunedin, however her belongings were slow in following her to Sydney. Meanwhile James was becoming impatient so he left for Sydney to find out what had become of her. When he arrived in Sydney he found that Mrs Stuart had left on a boat two days earlier. James jumped on board the next boat to Port Chalmers and was actually back in Dunedin before his family arrived. The business venture went well with James making baskets and Susannah sewing tents. They supplied the miners heading to the Tuapeka gold rush.

The Stuarts decided to join the gold rush themselves. They moved to Cromwell where they lived in a dig out cave shelter. Later the couple opened up a store, hotel and ferry at Gibralter Rock. Known as Reilly's Beach Hotel is was about 3km downstream of Cromwell on the true left bank of the Clutha River.

James Stuart was interested in spoon dredging and went into partnership with Mr Franz David Siedeberg and Mr Grant. The dredge paid well for a time. In July the returns were down and the dredge was shifted to Cornish Beach where it was used to raise material for the Cornish miners to process with great success. James was also involved with the Alpine dredging party in Lowburn.

Mrs Stuart was involved in a gold claim at Reilly's Beach while Mr Stuart had interests in various claims in the Cromwell area.

The Stuarts moved from Gibralter Rock, Reilly's Beach to Bannockburn and built the Ferry Hotel, location #158.

On Sept 11 1867, Mr Stuarts daughter Susan christened "The Bannockburn and Kawarau Ferry" which was a punt on the Kawarau River near the Ferry Hotel. (location #157)

About this time it appears that James Stuart also ran a kind of 'branch hotel' of the Ferry Hotel in the form of a shanty located at the "Sisters Rocks" on the top of the Carrick Range. See location #497. Note - this is the only mention of such a 'branch hotel' existing. It is only mentioned in the original 1948 manuscript of J P Parcells book "The Heart of the Desert" (David George, Emmit & Museum has a copy).

Susannah Stuart opened a reading room in the Ferry Hotel and assembled an extensive reference library.

James Stuart was on the committee set up to secure a government grant for the construction of a school building.

in November of 1871, the Heart of Oak gold mine at Carricktown decided to construct a battery to crush their ore. This mine adjoined the Elizabeth Mine and the two companies decided to join forces to erect the battery to serve both mines. There was a bit opening and christening ceremony, the battery being named the 'Start and Oak' by Miss Susan Stuart with these words "may this machine be as lasting as the stars and as true as the oak'

The writer Anthony Trollope visited Bannockburn and commented in his writings on the fine library of strongly bound, well thumbed books.

The Bannockburn school was recognised by the education board as a subsidised school. The Stuarts donated their library to the school and after 27 April it was housed and cared for by the successive teachers in residence. (For details of the library, see dwelling #55).

The Stuarts closed down the Ferry Hotel (location #158) and moved to Cromwell where they purchased the Victoria Hotel.

On 29 Sep 1876, a large flood damaged the Ferry Hotel, and destroyed the Kawarau Bridge (location #154).

Mr Stuart donated a large wall map of Otago to be hung in the new Jubilee Hall and Athenaeum (location #120)

James Stuart died on 16 Aug 1899 at the age of 86 years. He is buried in the Cromwell cemetery.

Quite a shock was caused in town on Wednesday by the tidings that Mr James Stuart, licencee of the Victoria Hotel, a very old and respected resident, had died at 2.00 am on Wednesday morning.The deceased had been in weak health for some considerable time lately, and his demise, though unexpected at the time it occurred was not altogether unlooked for, as it was thought that Mr Stuart had nearly reached the measure of his days, being 86 years of age. Mr Stuart was both in Edinburgh, and learnt basket weaving as a trade, but ran away to sea at an early age. He arrived in Sydney in 1832, and from there went to California in 1849. Here he went to the rushes of that exciting period, working on the San Joaquin, Sacremento and Yuba rivers, but mostly upon the s=last where he was very successful. He had many stirring adventures in those days and when he got to telling stories of '49, his reminiscences were full of interest. The discovery of gold in Australia drew him away from California, and in 1854 or 1855 he came to Victoria and followed mining in several places. After a while he went down to Melbourne and embarked in business as a basket maker in Little Lonsdale Street, but not long after he built what was in those days a first class hotel in Collingwood, and remained there for two or three years. He then went back to digging in the Chilton, from which place he came to New Zealand in 1863. He was soon up-country and started a store on the Clyde Road near where the Alpine dredge is now working, and also went in for spoon dredging in partnership with Mr Siedeberg. This dredge paid well. Afterwards he worked the dredge on the Kawarau at Cornish Beach. His next venture, in 1867, was to put a punt across the river on the Bannockburn Road, and erect an hotel on the Bannockburn side of the Kawarau. Here he remained in business until 1874, when he brought the Victoria Hotel from Mrs Box, (now Mrs Murley) and has been there ever since. The deceased took no active part in public affairs, excepting only the Caledonian Society, of which he was one of the founders, and always an energetic and enthusiastic member. He was always keenly interested in mining and speculated largely in the Carrick quartz mines, and various other enterprises at Bannockburn. He also took an active interest in Masonry, having joined the order in 1871. When the present Kilwinning Lodge was formed, Mr Stuart gave the order land upon which to build a Masonic Hall, and it was one of his wishes to assist with the opening of it, but alas the Great Reaper has forestalled him, and his face will not be seen at the ceremony. The deceased was twice married, but had no family. Mrs Varcoe of this town, is his adopted daughter. He was a very upright and honorable man and leaves the legacy of a good name behind him. The remains of the deceased were interred in the new cemetery on Friday afternoon. The funeral cortege was a long one, and the members of the Cromwell Kilwinning Lodge preceded the hearse. There were a large number of vehicles and many pedestrians. The impressive ritual of the Masonic Order was read over the grave by Mr J Fleming, Chaplain, and after circling the grave, the brethren dropped their last tribute to their departed brother.

Susannah Stuart took over the licence of the Victoria Hotel on the death of her husband. She renovated the hotel and continued to run it until 1907. Mrs Stuart was a keen speculator and invested in a number of ventures during the dredging boom.

Mrs Stuart sold the Victoria Hotel and retiree to a cottage over the road - to enjoy her grandchildren.

Susannah Stuart died on 10 Sep 1920 at the age of 83 years. She is buried in the Cromwell cemetery.

Death - STUART - At Cromwell on Friday 10 September 1920. Susan, relict of the late James Stuart, in her eighty third year. At rest. Death has claimed another of the districts pioneers, Mrs S Stuart who passed away peacefully at Cromwell on Friday evening at the advanced age of 83 years. A native of London, the late Mrs Stuart came to Australia when in her teens, but in 1863 with her late husband, who predeceased her 21 years ago, came to New Zealand. Their first venture was a store on the Clyde-Cromwell Road, near what is now familiarly known as Gibralter, spoon dredging also attracting the late Mr Stuarts attention.Their next venture was to erect a punt on the Kawarau River below where the Bannockburn Bridge now stands, and in connection therewith an hotel on the Bannockburn side where the gum trees still stand. Here the couple remained until 1874, when they purchased the Victoria Hotel at Cromwell, and it was in the control of this that they were more familiarly know to the present generation.In their conduct of the Victoria the couple won the golden opinion award, and after the demise of her husband in 1899, deceased carried on the business for several years with the same honorable record. Finally the late Mrs Stuart disposed of the property and retired into private life. As a hostess of the Victoria Hotel, deceased lady made many lifelong friends and many a man of the dark days who was forced to go along the road with "bluey" could testify to her generosity in extending a good meal and a night's shelter. Deceased was at all times enterprising, energetic, and a keen business woman, in the days of the great dredging boom, and an equally keen speculator. In her long association with public life deceased was admird and respected by all, and highly esteemed through the Central district. Some five months ago the deceased lady met with an accident through a fall and has been since confined to her bed, the end of a thoroughly spent and honorable life coming peacefully as recorded, conveying another instance of the great constitution and fortitude of the early pioneers. News of her death will be received with great regret throughout the district wherein she was well and honorably known. The funeral took place in the new cemetery on Sunday, W.P.Rankin conducting the burial service.