Appo Hocton

Appo Hocton (c. 1819 – 26 September 1920), with a birth name of Wong Ahpoo Hock Ting or Wong Ah Poo Hock Ting, his Chinese name was 黃鶴庭，[citation needed] was a Chinese-born New Zealand servant, landlord, carter and farmer.

Born in about 1819, or as late as 1823,[1] he was the first recorded Chinese emigrant to New Zealand, arriving in Nelson on the Thomas Harrison on 25 October 1842.

[2] Hocton purchased land in Nelson's Washington Valley, where he built eight cottages, four of which still exist today; they are located at 40 Washington Road, and nearby at 16, 38, and 40 Hastings Street.

[2] In 1876 Appo Hocton moved to Dovedale, Tasman onto a 485-acre block of land near Brandy Creek, after clearing the land Appo farmed cattle and sheep.

[6] Appo himself died on the 26 September 1920 at the purported age of 97, although obituaries from the time claim that he had recently celebrated his 100th birthday.