Windsor is a township in North Otago, 19 km (12 mi) inland from Oamaru, situated almost exactly on the 45th latitude.

The township was surveyed in 1879 and sold by Edward (Eddie) Menlove, the owner of the Windsor Park Estate.

The fire started in the adjoining Windsor Railway Hotel, which was owned by Mr Cunningham who died early in 1890.

The eldest son, Jim, born in 1876, served in the local volunteer unit, the North Otago Mounted Rifles, before going to Wellington in 1898 to join the Permanent Militia as a Submarine Engineer.

Jim was injured at Shipersfontein, concussed after his horse fell on him and his head struck a rock, then reported sick with dysentery (also described as enteric fever).

One day he was watching the children playing cricket, and he jumped down from the porch at the front of his father's store to show them what they were doing wrong.

Local legend attributes Jim to bringing back African Boxthorn (Eddie Menlove blamed him).