Biography

Henry Frederick William Nees was born in Berlin, Germany on 4th April 1836. He anglicised his name from Heinrich Friedrich Wihelm Neess during the 1850s. He emigrated to Australia in 1854 after learning cabinet-making from his father, Heinrich Gotlieb Neess, to try gold-mining with his brother, H.G. Carl Nees. They eventually set up a cabinet-making shop in Creswick, near Ballarat, where they had settled.

William Nees married Harriet Ann Mannix in Sydney on 6th November 1862, and they moved on to Dunedin soon after. William tried the goldfields of Central Otago without success, then established another cabinet-making business in Dunedin in 1863. Various premises were established over the years, first near Great King Street, then St Andrew Street (where they also lived for about twenty years, Harriet bringing up eleven children), then 326 George Street (by which time the three oldest boys were also working). There were two further moves to new premises in Great King Street, then finally to 266 Hanover Street in 1908. By 1913 two of William’s sons were running the business, under his close financial supervision.

William Nees was well regarded in the community. He was a Mason, was a good singer, and helped immigrants from Central Europe to integrate into the community. He was known for having perfect teeth.

William Nees died on 2nd May 1913 (aged 77) and is buried in the cemetery with his wife Harriet Ann, who had died on 10th February 1887 (aged 40), their daughter Lillian Julia who had died on 11th September 1899 (aged 27), Henry Frederick their son who died on 22nd February1929 (aged 62), William Edward, another son, who died on 15th December 1938 (aged 75), and another daughter Harriet Beatrice Nees who died on 14th July 1961 (aged 79 years).