Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/90

60 features in his character was his constantly acting from a sense of duty after full and prayerful consideration. As an instance we may state that we have heard members of his family mention the following circumstance, after which be resolved to emigrate:—Early in 1851 his attention was drawn to Otago as a desirable field for settlement. But previous to communicating his views to any beyond the members of his family, he asked them to join him in prayer to God for a whole day in reference to changing their home. Having obtained their concurrence, he called them together at the close of the day they had fixed on in order to collect their mind upon the matter, and, finding that it was favourable to emigration, he declared bis purpose to make immediate arrangements for carrying it into effect. On his resolution becoming known, favourable offers came from many quarters in the hope of inducing him to change his mind, but all in vain. Having resigned his various public appointments, be emigrated with his family to Otago, arriving in the ship "Slains Castle" on November 6, 1852.

"Shortly after his arrival Mr Gillies entered into partnership with Mr J. Hyde Harris, at that time the only legal practitioner in Dunedin, and was admitted a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the colony. He was returned as one of the members of the first Provincial Council, and for some time held the office of Speaker. In 1857 he received the appointment, under the Colonial Government, of Sheriff and Resident Magistrate of Otago. Considerable as were Mr Gillies's public services, those he rendered to the Presbyterian Church of Otago were even more important and manifold. He took the chief work in floating the Sustentation Fund, confessedly the great anchor of the Church. The now flourishing church of Tokomairiro had him for a nursing father, and while he was the willing servant of all the churches, Knox Church—of which he was a founder and an elder—will long own its obligations to his activity, faith, hope, and intelligence. He was the earnest advocate of missions to the Maoris, to the Chinese, and to seamen; of church extension; and of the union of the Presbyterian Churches of New Zealand. As a church trustee he did much to secure the settlement of the trust property and funds by the legislature of the colony.

"While an ardent friend of elementary schools, he was a strong advocate for the arrangement by which one-third of the annual