would be some years before the road would extend as far as Haast.
By 1911, all the Sullivans had moved inland by which time Laurence Sullivan and his wife had left Gillespie’s to live out their retirement in Hokitika. It seems a quirk of fate that they had both survived long sea voyages to come to New Zealand, had lived a long life in a remote area, had survived travel on horseback around dangerous bluffs and turbulent river crossings, and in Margaret’s case had given birth to eight children without medical assistance, only to meet their Maker in the way they did.
The following article in the Grey River Argus dated 26 October 1917 reads:
SHOCKING ACCIDENT AT HOKITIKA
MR LAURENCE SULLIVAN
KILLED
(Per Press Association)
Hokitika, October 25. A shocking fatality occurred at the railway station shortly after the arrival of the evening train during shunting operations. Laurence Sullivan, a retired settler from South Westland, over seventy years of age, was found run over, and his body terribly mutilated. He was seen on the railway platform shortly before, and it is inferred that he was taking a short cut across the railway line to his Residence nearby. He leaves a widow and grownup family. He was a well-known grazier of Cooks River. He had one son serving in the forces.
To add to this tragedy, his wife, Margaret died later the same day after hearing of the accident so the description of “widow” in the article was short-lived. Laurence was actually in his mid-eighties at the time of his death - not the “over seventy” mentioned in the obituary. Both were buried in the Hokitika cemetery at the same
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