Francis St Omer

Francis St Omer (1827 – 18 April 1915) was a baker, restaurateur, and councillor in Queenstown, New Zealand. He was born in Marseilles, France, and in his youth pursued the gold rushes of California, Victoria, and in 1863 Queenstown. He operated a bakery and restaurant business until his death. St Omer was a councillor for 11 years and the mayor of Queenstown Borough from 1887 to 1891 and 1894 to 1903.[1][2]

In 1863, to assuage the treeless landscape, St Omer planted ‘weeping willow’ trees around the edge of the lake in Queenstown Bay and with his son Frank, and Lewis Hotop the chemist, planted amenity trees all around Queenstown. After Francis’ death, the tree-planting work was continued by Frank, a lover of trees and birds who left his estate to the Borough Council for the beautification of Queenstown.[3]

References
  1. Miller., F.W.G. (1949), Golden Days of Lake County. Whitcombe and Tombs. p124.
  2. Otago Daily Times, Issue 9910, 1 December 1893, Page 2. Mayoral Elections. (www.paperspast.natlib.govt.nz)
  3. Queenstown Lakes District Council http://www.qldc.govt.nz/st_omer_park Archived 5 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine


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